Simultaneous esterification and transesterification of soybean oil with methanol catalyzed by mesoporous Ta2O5/SiO2–[H3PW12O40/R] (R = Me or Ph) hybrid catalysts

Abstract

The mesoporous Ta₂O₅ material functionalized with both alkyl groups and a Keggin-type heteropoly acid, Ta₂O₅/SiO₂–[H₃PW₁₂O₄₀/R] (R = Me or Ph), was prepared in a single step by the combination of sol-gel co-condensation, templated self-assembly, and hydrothermal treatment in the presence of a triblock copolymer surfactant. Compared with alkyl-free H₃PW₁₂O₄₀/Ta₂O₅catalyst, the as-prepared hybrid catalyst exhibited much higher catalytic activity and stability to simultaneous esterification and transesterification of soybean oil (in the presence of 20 wt% myristic acid) with methanol under mild conditions.