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Catalysis in glycerol: a survey of recent advances

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Abstract

There is currently a significant increase in the use of glycerol as a renewable solvent for catalytic reactions. Glycerol has often been the solvent of choice in both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyses, despite its high viscosity at ambient temperature and the low solubility of highly hydrophobic reagents found in glycerol. Its biodegradability and non-toxicity have led to reports of improved reaction performance and selectivity, as well as easier product separation and effective catalyst recycling. All relevant advances in this emerging field of “green” catalysis are thoroughly reviewed below.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco and NIS - Centre for Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces, University of Turin, Via P. Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy

    Silvia Tagliapietra, Laura Orio & Giancarlo Cravotto

  2. Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, University of Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, 22100, Como, Italy

    Giovanni Palmisano & Andrea Penoni

Authors
  1. Silvia Tagliapietra
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  2. Laura Orio
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  3. Giovanni Palmisano
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  4. Andrea Penoni
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  5. Giancarlo Cravotto
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Correspondence to Giancarlo Cravotto.

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Tagliapietra, S., Orio, L., Palmisano, G. et al. Catalysis in glycerol: a survey of recent advances. Chem. Pap. 69, 1519–1531 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1515/chempap-2015-0166

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/chempap-2015-0166

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