Highly ordered mesoporous functionalized pyridinium protic ionic liquids framework as efficient system in esterification reactions for biofuels production

Abstract

Polysiloxane acidic ionic liquids containing pyridinium trifluoroacetate salts (PMO-Py-IL) were synthesized from pyridine containing organosilane precursors. Characterization by SEM, XRD, TGA, and nitrogen porosimetry confirmed that both pyridinium cation and trifluoroacetate anion were successfully incorporated within the organosilica network. The resulting organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterial (PMO-Py-IL) was studied as nanocatalyst in free fatty acids esterification into biodiesel-like compounds. Remarkably, the synergistic hydrophilic/hydrophobic effect of pyridinium and trifluoroacetate ionic liquid in the well-ordered channels of PMO-Py-IL nanomaterial enhanced the activity toward sustainable biodiesel-like esters production. More importantly, PMO-Py-IL nanocatalyst also exhibited an exceptional activity and stability. The catalyst could be easily separated to reuse at least in ten reactions runs preserving almost intact its catalytic activity under otherwise identical conditions to those employed for the fresh catalysts.