Upgrading of Biobased Glycerol to Glycerol Carbonate as a Tool to Reduce the CO2 Emissions of the Biodiesel Fuel Life Cycle

With regards to oil-based diesel fuel, the adoption of bio-derived diesel fuel was estimated to reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 75%, considering the whole life cycle. In this paper, we present a novel continuous-flow process able to transfer an equimolar amount of CO₂ (through urea) to glycerol, producing glycerol carbonate. This represents a convenient tool, able to both improve the efficiency of the biodiesel production through the conversion of waste streams into added-value chemicals and to beneficially contribute to the whole carbon cycle. By means of a Design of Experiments approach, the influence of key operating variables on the product yield was studied and statistically modeled.

Five-Membered Cyclic Carbonates: Versatility for Applications in Organic Synthesis, Pharmaceutical, and Materials Sciences

This review presents the recent advances involving several applications of five-membered cyclic carbonates and derivatives. With more than 150 references, it covers the period from 2012 to 2020, with special emphasis on the use of five-membered cyclic carbonates as building blocks for organic synthesis and material elaboration. We demonstrate the application of cyclic carbonates in several important chemical transformations, such as decarboxylation, hydrogenation, and transesterification reactions, among others. The presence of cyclic carbonates in molecules with high biological potential is also displayed, together with the importance of these compounds in the preparation of materials such as urethanes, polyurethanes, and flame retardants.