Efficient procedure for biodiesel synthesis from waste oil and t-butylation of resorcinol using a porous microtube polymer-based solid acid

Abstract

A novel porous microtube polymer-based solid acid was synthesized via the polymerisation of naphthalene and subsequent sulfonation. The polymer structure could be easily adjusted by altering the amount of formaldehyde dimethyl acetal (FDA), and could be changed to thin slices, microtubes or microspheres. The high surface area of 128.92 m² g⁻¹ and special microtube structure indicated good mass transfer efficiency and a hydrophobic surface. The abundant naphthalene rings provided sufficient sulfonation sites, which resulted in a high acid density of over 3 mmol g⁻¹. An efficient procedure for biodiesel synthesis and t-butylation of resorcinol were developed using the novel solid acid. The high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, special microtube structure and organic framework were the key factors for the high activities, providing great potential in green chemistry.