Abstract

Glycerol valorization is of strategic importance. Key platform chemicals, like lactic acid, a precursor to polylactic acid, and another prominent monomer of the polymer industry, namely acrolein, can be produced from this molecule with three hydroxy groups. Glycerol is one of the 12 platform chemicals identified by the US Department of Energy, serving as a building block for various other molecules of relevance to the polymer industry owing to its high degree of oxygen functionality. Recent research published between 2021 and 2026 demonstrates significant advance in the application of advanced heterogeneous catalysts for the catalytic conversion of glycerol into value-added chemicals. The compiled results clearly show the effectiveness of solid acid catalysts, solid base catalysts, and metal-supported catalysts in directing glycerol transformation through dehydration, oxidation, reforming, and hydrogenolysis pathways under a wide range of reaction conditions. High glycerol conversions, in several cases in the range of 90–99%, have been achieved depending on catalyst composition, metal loading, support characteristics, and operating parameters such as temperature, pressure, and reaction time. Solid acid catalysts, particularly vanadium- and niobium-based oxide systems, exhibit outstanding activity for glycerol dehydration, producing acrolein as the primary product with selectivities above 70% at elevated temperatures. The near-complete glycerol conversion observed over these catalysts confirms the crucial role of surface acidity in promoting selective dehydration reactions. In contrast, solid base catalysts and base-assisted metal catalysts demonstrate excellent performance for lactic acid production, achieving glycerol conversions greater than 90% with lactic acid selectivities reaching up to 90% under optimized reaction conditions. Furthermore, metal-supported catalysts, such as Au, Pt, Pd, and Cu, supported on oxide or carbon materials enable selective oxidation and reforming reactions, yielding products including dihydroxyacetone, glyceric acid, hydrogen, and propanediols. Thus, the current insightful review provides the latest developments in the field in a nutshell with recommendations of the best catalytic pathways for producing the desired target molecules like acrolein, lactic acid, and dihydroxyacetone.

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1. Tabah B, Varvak A, Pulidindi IN, Foran E, Banin E, Gedanken A. Production of 1,3-propanediol from glycerol via fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Green Chem. 2016;18(17):4657–66.
2. Tangy A, Pulidindi IN, Dutta A, Borenstein A. Strontium oxide nanoparticles for biodiesel production: Fundamental insights and recent progress. Energy Fuels. 2020;35(1):187–200.
3. Tangy A, Pulidindi IN, Perkas N, Gedanken A. Continuous flow through a microwave oven for the large-scale production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil. Bioresour Technol. 2017;224:333–41.
4. Tangy A, Kumar VB, Pulidindi IN, Kinel-Tahan Y, Yehoshua Y, Gedanken A. In-situ transesterification of Chlorella vulgaris using carbon-dot functionalized strontium oxide as a heterogeneous catalyst under microwave irradiation. Energy Fuels. 2016;30(12):10602–10.
5. Tangy A, Pulidindi IN, Gedanken A. SiO2 beads decorated with SrO nanoparticles for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil using microwave irradiation. Energy Fuels. 2016;30(4):3151–60.
6. Tabah B, Pulidindi IN, Chitturi VR, Arava LM, Varvak A, Foran E, et al. Solar-energy-driven conversion of biomass to bioethanol: a sustainable approach. J Mater Chem A. 2017;5(30):15486–506.
7. Klein M, Griess O, Pulidindi IN, Perkas N, Gedanken A. Bioethanol production from Ficus religiosa leaves using microwave irradiation. J Environ Manage. 2016;177:20–5.
8. Tabah B, Pulidindi IN, Chitturi VR, Arava LM, Gedanken A. Utilization of solar energy for continuous bioethanol production for energy applications. RSC Adv. 2016;6(29):24203–9.
9. Kumar VB, Pulidindi IN, Kinel-Tahan Y, Yehoshua Y, Gedanken A. Evaluation of the potential of Chlorella vulgaris for bioethanol production. Energy Fuels. 2016;30(4):3161–6.
10. Tabah B, Pulidindi IN, Chitturi VR, Arava LM, Gedanken A. Solar-energy driven simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of starch to bioethanol for fuel-cell applications. ChemSusChem. 2015;8(20):3497–503.
11. Victor A, Pulidindi IN, Gedanken A. Assessment of holocellulose for the production of bioethanol by conserving Pinus radiata cones as renewable feedstock. J Environ Manage. 2015;162:215–20.
12. Korzen L, Pulidindi IN, Israel A, Abelson A, Gedanken A. Marine integrated culture of carbohydrate rich Ulva rigida for enhanced production of bioethanol. RSC Adv. 2015;5(73):59251–6.
13. Tabah B, Pulidindi IN, Gedanken A. Study on fermentation kinetics for accelerated production of bioethanol from glucose, sucrose and molasses. J Bioprocess Biotech. 2015;5(6):1.
14. Korzen L, Pulidindi IN, Israel A, Abelson A, Gedanken A. Single step production of bioethanol from the seaweed Ulva rigida using sonication. RSC Adv. 2015;5(21):16223–9.
15. Pulidindi IN, Kimchi BB, Gedanken A. Can cellulose be a sustainable feedstock for bioethanol production? Renew Energy. 2014;71:77–80.
16. Chen L, Ren S, Ye XP. Glycerol conversion to lactic acid with sodium hydroxide as a homogeneous catalyst in a fed-batch reactor. React Kinet Mech Catal. 2015;114(1):93–108.
17. Lopes AM, do Nascimento Junior MA, Valentini A, Pergher SB, Braga TP. Conversion of blonde glycerin to acrolein using Nb2O5/SiO2 catalysts synthesized by the Pechini method. Catal Today. 2025;451:115228.
18. Xiang H, Wang C, Yan Z, Zhang Y, Zhang P, Jing F, et al. Catalytic production of hydrogen and carbon nanotubes from glycerol via Ni2+/Zr4+-doped double-hydroxide layers. Mater Chem Phys. 2025;333:130360.
19. Chen T, Zhang J, Zhu Y, Song H, An Z, He J. Heterogeneous catalytic strategies on the selective oxidation of glycerol into dihydroxyacetone and glyceric acid: A short review of recent research advances. Chem Synth. 2025;5(4).
20. Liu J, Zhao X, Wang W, Yan Y, Huang G, Liang M, et al. Acrolein production from glycerol dehydration over amorphous V-P-N-C catalysts. RSC Adv. 2025;15(13):9801–9.
21. Akbulut D, Özkar S. A review of the catalytic conversion of glycerol to lactic acid in the presence of aqueous base. RSC Adv. 2022;12(29):18864–83.
22. Edake M, Dalil M, Mahboub MJ, Dubois JL, Patience GS. Catalytic glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,3-propanediol in a gas-solid fluidized bed. RSC Adv. 2017;7(7):3853–60.
23. Ao S, Rokhum SL. Recent advances in the valorization of biodiesel by-product glycerol to solketal. J Chem. 2022;2022(1):4938672.
24. Kibar ME, Aygul S, Yildiz M. Photocatalytic lactic acid production from glycerol with Al2O3/nt-TiO2 catalysts. React Kinet Mech Catal. 2025;138(6):4287–304.
25. Fionov Y, Semenova S, Khaibullin S, Fionova E, Bratchikova I, Kharlanov A, et al. Active and stable Ni/Al2O3-(Zr+Ce)O2 catalyst for syngas production via glycerol dry reforming. Kinet Catal. 2025;66(2):240–7.
26. Malaika A, Rachela M, Kozłowski M. Transesterification of glycerol to glycerol carbonate over alkali carbonate-carbon hybrid catalysts. ChemCatChem. 2025;2025:e202500143.
27. Rachuri Y, Gholap SS, Hengne AM, Rahman MM, Dutta I, Hassine MB, et al. Boosting the performance of iridium single atom catalyst in a porous organic polymer for glycerol conversion to lactic acid. Angew Chem Int Ed. 2025;64(7):e202419607.
28. Khalid A, Alotibi S. Synthesis of glycerol carbonate via direct carbonation of glycerol in CO2 over Pd/CeO2/TiO2 catalyst. J Supercrit Fluids. 2025;106827.
29. Xiong Z, Zhang X, Huang J, Xie W, Chen Y, Cui L, et al. Flower-shaped zinc oxide nanostructures loaded with Au nanoparticles for efficient and highly stable production of dihydroxyacetone from glycerol oxidation. Adv Sustain Syst. 2025;9(4):2400947.
30. Lete A, García L, Ruiz J, Arauzo J. Valorization of pure and biodiesel-derived refined crude glycerol to renewable acetol over copper-based catalyst: Effect of operating conditions and catalyst stability. Biomass Bioenergy. 2025;203:108273.
31. Li A, Wu Q, Sun L, Zhang K, Liu Z, Zhang H, et al. Selective catalytic hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-PDO: Recent research advances. Carbon Hydrogen. 2025;27(1):20–42.
32. Zhang X, Wang Y, Cui L, Chen Y, Zhang X, Ke Y, et al. Morphological engineering of Au/Cu0.1Zn0.90 catalyst for efficient and recyclable 1,3-dihydroxyacetone production via glycerol oxidation. Fuel. 2026;406:137061.
33. Andola SC, Pandey A, Kothari AC, Singh G, Singh A, Malik R. Green synthesis of glycerol carbonate from glycerol over prepared sodium aluminate catalysts by spray drying. Catal Lett. 2025;155(7):242.
34. Ghorbani A, Dalai AK. Synergistic impact of Cu and support materials in Ni-based catalysts for glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,2-propanediol. Can J Chem. 2025;103(6):280–92.
35. Paredes-Quevedo LC, Ramirez-Riaño MA, Hincapié-Triviño G, Batiot-Dupeyrat C, Velasquez M. Selective photo-Fenton oxidation of glycerol to dihydroxyacetone over magnetite-maghemite catalyst. J Environ Chem Eng. 2025:119517.

Abstract

Glycerol valorization is of strategic importance. Key platform chemicals, like lactic acid, a precursor to polylactic acid, and another prominent monomer of the polymer industry, namely acrolein, can be produced from this molecule with three hydroxy groups. Glycerol is one of the 12 platform chemicals identified by the US Department of Energy, serving as a building block for various other molecules of relevance to the polymer industry owing to its high degree of oxygen functionality. Recent research published between 2021 and 2026 demonstrates significant advance in the application of advanced heterogeneous catalysts for the catalytic conversion of glycerol into value-added chemicals. The compiled results clearly show the effectiveness of solid acid catalysts, solid base catalysts, and metal-supported catalysts in directing glycerol transformation through dehydration, oxidation, reforming, and hydrogenolysis pathways under a wide range of reaction conditions. High glycerol conversions, in several cases in the range of 90–99%, have been achieved depending on catalyst composition, metal loading, support characteristics, and operating parameters such as temperature, pressure, and reaction time. Solid acid catalysts, particularly vanadium- and niobium-based oxide systems, exhibit outstanding activity for glycerol dehydration, producing acrolein as the primary product with selectivities above 70% at elevated temperatures. The near-complete glycerol conversion observed over these catalysts confirms the crucial role of surface acidity in promoting selective dehydration reactions. In contrast, solid base catalysts and base-assisted metal catalysts demonstrate excellent performance for lactic acid production, achieving glycerol conversions greater than 90% with lactic acid selectivities reaching up to 90% under optimized reaction conditions. Furthermore, metal-supported catalysts, such as Au, Pt, Pd, and Cu, supported on oxide or carbon materials enable selective oxidation and reforming reactions, yielding products including dihydroxyacetone, glyceric acid, hydrogen, and propanediols. Thus, the current insightful review provides the latest developments in the field in a nutshell with recommendations of the best catalytic pathways for producing the desired target molecules like acrolein, lactic acid, and dihydroxyacetone.

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Tabah B, Varvak A, Pulidindi IN, Foran E, Banin E, Gedanken A. Production of 1,3-propanediol from glycerol via fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Green Chem. 2016;18(17):4657–66.
2. Tangy A, Pulidindi IN, Dutta A, Borenstein A. Strontium oxide nanoparticles for biodiesel production: Fundamental insights and recent progress. Energy Fuels. 2020;35(1):187–200.
3. Tangy A, Pulidindi IN, Perkas N, Gedanken A. Continuous flow through a microwave oven for the large-scale production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil. Bioresour Technol. 2017;224:333–41.
4. Tangy A, Kumar VB, Pulidindi IN, Kinel-Tahan Y, Yehoshua Y, Gedanken A. In-situ transesterification of Chlorella vulgaris using carbon-dot functionalized strontium oxide as a heterogeneous catalyst under microwave irradiation. Energy Fuels. 2016;30(12):10602–10.
5. Tangy A, Pulidindi IN, Gedanken A. SiO2 beads decorated with SrO nanoparticles for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil using microwave irradiation. Energy Fuels. 2016;30(4):3151–60.
6. Tabah B, Pulidindi IN, Chitturi VR, Arava LM, Varvak A, Foran E, et al. Solar-energy-driven conversion of biomass to bioethanol: a sustainable approach. J Mater Chem A. 2017;5(30):15486–506.
7. Klein M, Griess O, Pulidindi IN, Perkas N, Gedanken A. Bioethanol production from Ficus religiosa leaves using microwave irradiation. J Environ Manage. 2016;177:20–5.
8. Tabah B, Pulidindi IN, Chitturi VR, Arava LM, Gedanken A. Utilization of solar energy for continuous bioethanol production for energy applications. RSC Adv. 2016;6(29):24203–9.
9. Kumar VB, Pulidindi IN, Kinel-Tahan Y, Yehoshua Y, Gedanken A. Evaluation of the potential of Chlorella vulgaris for bioethanol production. Energy Fuels. 2016;30(4):3161–6.
10. Tabah B, Pulidindi IN, Chitturi VR, Arava LM, Gedanken A. Solar-energy driven simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of starch to bioethanol for fuel-cell applications. ChemSusChem. 2015;8(20):3497–503.
11. Victor A, Pulidindi IN, Gedanken A. Assessment of holocellulose for the production of bioethanol by conserving Pinus radiata cones as renewable feedstock. J Environ Manage. 2015;162:215–20.
12. Korzen L, Pulidindi IN, Israel A, Abelson A, Gedanken A. Marine integrated culture of carbohydrate rich Ulva rigida for enhanced production of bioethanol. RSC Adv. 2015;5(73):59251–6.
13. Tabah B, Pulidindi IN, Gedanken A. Study on fermentation kinetics for accelerated production of bioethanol from glucose, sucrose and molasses. J Bioprocess Biotech. 2015;5(6):1.
14. Korzen L, Pulidindi IN, Israel A, Abelson A, Gedanken A. Single step production of bioethanol from the seaweed Ulva rigida using sonication. RSC Adv. 2015;5(21):16223–9.
15. Pulidindi IN, Kimchi BB, Gedanken A. Can cellulose be a sustainable feedstock for bioethanol production? Renew Energy. 2014;71:77–80.
16. Chen L, Ren S, Ye XP. Glycerol conversion to lactic acid with sodium hydroxide as a homogeneous catalyst in a fed-batch reactor. React Kinet Mech Catal. 2015;114(1):93–108.
17. Lopes AM, do Nascimento Junior MA, Valentini A, Pergher SB, Braga TP. Conversion of blonde glycerin to acrolein using Nb2O5/SiO2 catalysts synthesized by the Pechini method. Catal Today. 2025;451:115228.
18. Xiang H, Wang C, Yan Z, Zhang Y, Zhang P, Jing F, et al. Catalytic production of hydrogen and carbon nanotubes from glycerol via Ni2+/Zr4+-doped double-hydroxide layers. Mater Chem Phys. 2025;333:130360.
19. Chen T, Zhang J, Zhu Y, Song H, An Z, He J. Heterogeneous catalytic strategies on the selective oxidation of glycerol into dihydroxyacetone and glyceric acid: A short review of recent research advances. Chem Synth. 2025;5(4).
20. Liu J, Zhao X, Wang W, Yan Y, Huang G, Liang M, et al. Acrolein production from glycerol dehydration over amorphous V-P-N-C catalysts. RSC Adv. 2025;15(13):9801–9.
21. Akbulut D, Özkar S. A review of the catalytic conversion of glycerol to lactic acid in the presence of aqueous base. RSC Adv. 2022;12(29):18864–83.
22. Edake M, Dalil M, Mahboub MJ, Dubois JL, Patience GS. Catalytic glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,3-propanediol in a gas-solid fluidized bed. RSC Adv. 2017;7(7):3853–60.
23. Ao S, Rokhum SL. Recent advances in the valorization of biodiesel by-product glycerol to solketal. J Chem. 2022;2022(1):4938672.
24. Kibar ME, Aygul S, Yildiz M. Photocatalytic lactic acid production from glycerol with Al2O3/nt-TiO2 catalysts. React Kinet Mech Catal. 2025;138(6):4287–304.
25. Fionov Y, Semenova S, Khaibullin S, Fionova E, Bratchikova I, Kharlanov A, et al. Active and stable Ni/Al2O3-(Zr+Ce)O2 catalyst for syngas production via glycerol dry reforming. Kinet Catal. 2025;66(2):240–7.
26. Malaika A, Rachela M, Kozłowski M. Transesterification of glycerol to glycerol carbonate over alkali carbonate-carbon hybrid catalysts. ChemCatChem. 2025;2025:e202500143.
27. Rachuri Y, Gholap SS, Hengne AM, Rahman MM, Dutta I, Hassine MB, et al. Boosting the performance of iridium single atom catalyst in a porous organic polymer for glycerol conversion to lactic acid. Angew Chem Int Ed. 2025;64(7):e202419607.
28. Khalid A, Alotibi S. Synthesis of glycerol carbonate via direct carbonation of glycerol in CO2 over Pd/CeO2/TiO2 catalyst. J Supercrit Fluids. 2025;106827.
29. Xiong Z, Zhang X, Huang J, Xie W, Chen Y, Cui L, et al. Flower-shaped zinc oxide nanostructures loaded with Au nanoparticles for efficient and highly stable production of dihydroxyacetone from glycerol oxidation. Adv Sustain Syst. 2025;9(4):2400947.
30. Lete A, García L, Ruiz J, Arauzo J. Valorization of pure and biodiesel-derived refined crude glycerol to renewable acetol over copper-based catalyst: Effect of operating conditions and catalyst stability. Biomass Bioenergy. 2025;203:108273.
31. Li A, Wu Q, Sun L, Zhang K, Liu Z, Zhang H, et al. Selective catalytic hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-PDO: Recent research advances. Carbon Hydrogen. 2025;27(1):20–42.
32. Zhang X, Wang Y, Cui L, Chen Y, Zhang X, Ke Y, et al. Morphological engineering of Au/Cu0.1Zn0.90 catalyst for efficient and recyclable 1,3-dihydroxyacetone production via glycerol oxidation. Fuel. 2026;406:137061.
33. Andola SC, Pandey A, Kothari AC, Singh G, Singh A, Malik R. Green synthesis of glycerol carbonate from glycerol over prepared sodium aluminate catalysts by spray drying. Catal Lett. 2025;155(7):242.
34. Ghorbani A, Dalai AK. Synergistic impact of Cu and support materials in Ni-based catalysts for glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,2-propanediol. Can J Chem. 2025;103(6):280–92.
35. Paredes-Quevedo LC, Ramirez-Riaño MA, Hincapié-Triviño G, Batiot-Dupeyrat C, Velasquez M. Selective photo-Fenton oxidation of glycerol to dihydroxyacetone over magnetite-maghemite catalyst. J Environ Chem Eng. 2025:119517.