Designing microstructure of nanoporous carbon as a catalyst support for biodiesel production

Abstract

Nanoporous carbon materials prepared from polybenzoxazine precursor have been used as catalyst supports for biodiesel upgrading. In this study, polybenzoxazine was synthesized from 1,6-hexamethylene diamine, bisphenol-A, and formaldehyde while silica particles were used as templates to attain controllable mesoporous carbons. SEM micrographs revealed that the obtained carbons consisted of interconnected 3D particles. The BET confirmed 327 m²/g surface area, 3.741 cc/g pore volume, and 24.2 nm average pore size. For biodiesel upgrading, the conversion of methyl linoleate (C 18:2) to methyl oleate (C 18:1) for partial hydrogenation by using Pd(NH₃)₄Cl₂ supported on carbon materials (Pd/porous carbon) was investigated. The effect of the carbon microstructure on the upgrading performance was compared with commercial microporous activated carbon. Palladium (Pd) mesoporous supports exhibited higher catalytic activity than microporous catalyst in the hydrogenation reaction.