Selective synthesis of triacetin from glycerol catalyzed by HZSM-5/MCM-41 micro/mesoporous molecular sieve

HZSM-5/MCM-41 molecular sieve (H-ZM) catalysts with well-defined micro/mesoporous structures were synthesized and showed high performance for selective synthesis of triacetin via the esterification reaction of glycerol with acetic acid. The conversion of glycerol was demonstrated to be 100% and the triacetin selectivity was over 91%, which can be attributed to the synergistic effect regarding suitable acidic property, excellent diffusion efficiency and good stability derived from the combined advantages of microporous molecular sieve HZSM-5 and mesoporous molecular sieve MCM-41.