The selective transformation of glycerol into value-added products remains a challenging task due to its polyfunctional nature. Conversion of glycerol into 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol (i.e., solketal) was efficiently catalyzed by SnCl 2 at room temperature and in solvent-free conditions. Solketal is an useful additive for the formulation of gasoline, diesel, and biodiesel. Tin chloride, an inexpensive, water-tolerant, and minimally corrosive Lewis acid catalyst, has demonstrated excellent catalytic behavior in the acetalisation of glycerol with acetone to yield solketal with a higher efficiency than traditional Brønsted acids (i.e., p-toluenesulfonic acid or sulfuric acid). The effects of various parameters, such as catalyst loading, acetone/ glycerol molar ratio, and temperature on the selectivity and conversion of glycerol was investigated in detail. Although used in the homogeneous phase, the SnCl 2 catalyst was easily recovered and reused without any reactivation treatment up to six times, keeping constant its activity.
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