Better undestanding modified hydrotalcite-derived catalysts
In September 2021 we published our new article in Catalysts about the effect of the metal (III) origin on the properties and aldol condensation performance of hydrotalcite-derived materials.
Hydrotalcites (HTCs) are promising solid base catalysts to produce advanced biofuels by aldol condensation. Their main potential lies in the tunability of their acid-base properties by varying their composition. However, the relationship between the composition of hydrotalcites, their basicity, and their catalytic performance has not yet been fully revealed. Here, we have synthesized a series of magnesium-derived HTCs with the various trivalent cations (M3+ = Al, Ga, Fe, In) and evaluated the derived mixed oxides and reconstructed hydrotalcites with respect to their physicochemical properties and catalytic performance in aldol condensation of furfural and acetone. This allowed us to elucidate the role of the trivalent cation on the structure, properties, and catalytic performance (including its stability) of the synthesized materials.