Sulfonic acid functionalized deoxycellulose catalysts for glycerol acetylation to fuel additives

•Sulfonic acid functionalized cellulose-based catalysts were prepared.•Crosslinking of cellulose and SO3H grafting via CS atomic bonding was achieved.•The catalyst effectively catalyzed glycerol acetylation reactions to fuel additives.•The stability of catalyst markedly increased due to the structural fortifications. Various forms of sulfonic acid (SO3H) functionalized cellulose-based heterogeneous catalysts were prepared, and their properties on glycerol acetylation reactions to mono-, di-, and triacetin products were investigated. Superior catalytic activity and stability for the reactions was observed on SO3H-NDOC catalyst that is obtained by (i) crosslinking of the cellulose units with epichlorohydrin into a three-dimensionally-networked deoxycellulose-matrix and (ii) sulfonic acid functionalization on the crosslinked deoxycellulose support via CS atomic linkages (CSO3H). It was found that sulfonic acid functionalization via an ether type OS atomic linkage (COSO3H) or the direct utilization of the pristine cellulose support without a fortification by crosslinking led to significant deactivation of the catalysts by substantial acidity loss. The intrinsic glycerol conversion turnover rate on SO3H-NDOC was comparable to that of commercial Amberlyst-15 solid resin, demonstrating the effectiveness of this renewable cellulose-derived heterogeneous catalyst for glycerol acetylation to fuel additives.