14.03.2018

Metal-free catalyst for ester synthesis

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan developed a metal free and recyclable catalyst which could be used for biodiesel production. Usually metal salts are used for the reaction. Tetramethylammonium methyl carbonate (TMC) reacts with an alcohol to form an alkoxide ion which then attacks the starting ester to form the complex ester. Hundreds of grammes of a biodiesel component were synthesised. The researchers are confident that the reaction can be scaled up to industrial production.

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