(786e) Cu3(BTC)2 Metal-Organic-Framework As a Solid Acid Catalyst for the Production of Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a fuel derived from the transesterification of fats and oils that has similar properties to that of diesel produced from crude oil and can be used directly to run existing diesel engines or as a mixture with crude oil diesel. The main advantages of using biodiesel is that it is biodegradable, can be used without modifying existing engines, and produces less harmful gas emissions such as sulfur oxide. [1]. The transesterification reaction can be catalyzed by acid or base solids, the advantages of using solid acid catalyst are: (1) they are insensitive to free fatty acids (FFA) content, (2) esterification and transesterification occurs simultaneously, (3) eliminate the washing step of biodiesel, (4) easy separation of the catalyst from the reaction medium, resulting in lower product contamination level, (5) easy regeneration and recycling of catalyst and (6) reduce corrosion problem, even with the presence of acid species. Currently, biodiesel research is focused on exploring new and sustainable solid acid catalysts for transesterification reaction.[2]

  In recent years, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have received considerable attention as potentially valuable gas storage, sensing, separation and catalytic materials. They are composed of an organic linker, for example a dicarboxylic acid and a transition metal complex or cluster, both units being building blocks that are designed to assemble a three-dimensional open framework. In the present work a highly active and selective Lewis acid catalyst [4], copper-benzentricarboxi metal-organic-framework Cu-MOF was prepared via hydrothermal treatment and used as catalyst for the transesterification of tryglicerides to produce biodiesel.