Preparation of mesoporous polyoxometalate-tantalum pentoxide composite catalyst for efficient esterification of fatty acid

Mesoporous polyoxometalate-tantalum pentoxide composite catalyst, H3PW12O40/Ta2O5, was prepared by a one-step sol-gel-hydrothermal method in the presence of triblock copolymer surfactant. Structure, morphology and surface textural property of the composite were characterized. As-prepared H3PW12O40/Ta2O5 was applied as a solid acid catalyst for esterification reaction of lauric acid with ethanol, an important pretreatment step in the production of biodiesel from renewable feedstocks. Superiority of the H3PW12O40/Ta2O5 is highly active and selective to the esterification reaction, in addition, it is environmentally friendly and catalytically stable with resistance to leaching of the Keggin unit into reaction media. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.