Effects of Catalyst Pore Structure and Acid Properties on the Dehydration of Glycerol

Hierarchical porous catalysts have recently attracted increasing interest because of the enhanced accessibility to active sites on such materials. In this context, previously reported hierarchically mesoporous ASN and ASPN materials are evaluated by applying them to the dehydration of glycerol, and demonstrate excellent catalytic performance. In addition, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of pore structures and the acid properties on the reaction through comparative studies with microporous HZSM‐5 and mesoporous AlMCM‐41 is provided. Combined action: Hierarchically mesoporous acidic nanocatalysts with different acidic properties are used for the dehydration of glycerol. A comparison of the nanocatalysts with microporous and mesoporous acid‐catalysts verifies the benefits of hierarchical pores on enhancing the apparent activity and stability of the catalyst, but also highlights that overall catalytic performance is determined by the combined action of porous and acidic properties.