Fuel Bioadditives Synthesis from Furfural Glycerol Condensation over Vanadium-Substituted Cesium Phosphomolybdate Salts

In this work, vanadium-substituted cesium phosphomolybdate salts were evaluated as catalysts in glycerol furfural condensation reactions, an attractive route to produce fuel-green bioadditives. Molybdenum atoms of phosphomolybdic acid were substituted with vanadium and precipitated as cesium salts generating catalysts with general formulae Cs_3+nPMo_12-nV_nO₄₀ (n = 1–3). Among the salts evaluated, Cs₄PMo₁₁V₁O₄₀ was the most active and selective catalyst toward the glyceryl furfural acetals, isomers (dioxolane: dioxane) were obtained at 2: 1 molar ratio with 90% conversion after a 2 h reaction at room temperature. The effect of main reaction parameters such as the glycerol: furfural molar ratio, the catalyst load, solvent, vanadium load, and the temperature were studied. The use of a solid, active, and easily synthesizable catalyst makes this an attractive route to produce fuel bioadditives from renewable raw materials at room temperature.