Zeolite catalysis for bio-derived molecules

The problem

Glycerol is the unavoidable by-product of biodiesel and ethanol is one of the few renewable carbon feedstocks available at scale. Upgrading either one usefully depends on what a catalyst does inside its own pores.

The approach

Synthesise and test Beta zeolites of varied hydrophobicity, void polarity, and framework topology, and measure how those properties change glycerol etherification with ethanol and the olefin distribution formed during ethanol upgrading.

Key results

A first-author manuscript is in revision at the Journal of Catalysis; related work appeared in Applied Catalysis B (2026); a co-first-author manuscript on acetone co-feeding is in preparation. Five conference presentations to date.