An attempt has been
made to optimize the preparation of biodiesel
from the transesterification of oleic acid with methanol over iron(III)-doped
phosphomolybdic acid (H
3
PMo) catalysts. The prepared doped
H
3
PMo salts were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction,
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis,
and scanning electron microscopy. The detailed characterization results
demonstrated that the doped H
3
PMo salts have a strong interaction
between the iron(III) ions and metal oxygen cluster, well preserving
a typical Keggin structure of heteropolyacids and possessing good
thermal stability. The effect of esterification reaction parameters
was investigated and optimized using single-factor experiments method
in combination with response surface methodology (RSM). The doped
catalyst exhibited good catalytic activity, affording the oleic acid
conversion of 89.2% with single factor optimization and 95.1% with
RSM. More importantly, the catalyst was simply separated by decantation
and exhibited good stability, with the oleic acid conversion of 70.2%
after three consecutive cycles. Besides, this catalyst can also catalyze
the esterification of other free fatty acids. Therefore, the doped
H
3
PMo catalyst is a promising candidate for eco-friendly
production of biodiesel in industry.