A bifunctional catalyst based on Nb and V oxides over alumina: oxidative cleavage of crude glycerol to green formic acid

A bimetallic vanadium and niobium oxide catalyst using alumina as support was developed for the conversion of crude glycerol from biodiesel production into formic acid. The high dispersion of the active oxides phase combined with the presence of acid and redox active centers resulted in a high glycerol conversion (> 90% during 25 h) with a good selectivity to formic acid (~55%). This process is the first example of a heterogeneous liquid-phase process for the conversion of crude glycerol to formic acid, which is an important chemical intermediate currently derived from petroleum feedstock.