Esterification of levulinic acid to ethyl levulinate biodiesel catalyzed by highly active hierarchically structured Ti-Beta zeolite

The nanosized Ti-containing zeolite Beta has been prepared by a two-step post-synthesis approach, which consists of creating vacant T sites with associated silanol groups by dealumination of H-Beta and subsequent titanation of the resulting Si-Beta with Titanium isopropoxide. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The hierarchically structured Ti-Beta zeolite, with a significant mesopore volume (Vmeso = 0.39 cm³/g) and large surface area (513 m2/g), and without loss of microporosity and crystallinity, was found to play a crucial role in liquid phase esterification of levulinic acid with ethanol.

Keywords:

Ti-beta , Post-synthesis , Hierarchical porosity , Esterification , Acid solids