AUTHOR=Zhang Qiuyun , Ling Dan , Lei Dandan , Wang Jialu , Liu Xiaofang , Zhang Yutao , Ma Peihua 

TITLE=Green and Facile Synthesis of Metal-Organic Framework Cu-BTC-Supported Sn (II)-Substituted Keggin Heteropoly Composites as an Esterification Nanocatalyst for Biodiesel Production

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2020.00129

DOI=10.3389/fchem.2020.00129

ISSN=2296-2646

ABSTRACT=<p>In the present study, metal-organic framework Cu-BTC-supported Sn (II)-substituted Keggin heteropoly nanocomposite (Sn<sub>1.5</sub>PW/Cu-BTC) was successfully prepared by a simple impregnation method and applied as a novel nanocatalyst for producing biodiesel from oleic acid (OA) through esterification. The nanocatalyst was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, thermogravimetrics (TG), and NH<sub>3</sub>-temperature-programmed desorption (NH<sub>3</sub>-TPD). Accordingly, the synthesized nanocatalyst with a Sn<sub>1.5</sub>PW/Cu-BTC weight ratio of 1 exhibited a relatively large specific surface area, appropriate pore size, and high acidity. Moreover, an OA conversion of 87.7% was achieved under optimum reaction conditions. The nanocatalyst was reused seven times, and the OA conversion remained at more than 80% after three uses. Kinetic study showed that the esterification reaction followed first-order kinetics, and the activation energy (<italic>E</italic><sub><italic>a</italic></sub>) was calculated to be 38.3 kJ/mol.</p>