近年來，生質柴油的生產以植物油和動物脂肪作為原料，因為生質柴油的永續性、無毒、生物可降解和低碳排放量的特性，使得它被認為是很有潛力的可再生能源，甚至認為未來它能夠取代價格逐漸升高的化石燃料，因此近年來許多的科學家去研究如何改進生質柴油的生產製程。生質柴油為脂肪酸烷基酯類的混合物，最常見的生產方式為利用觸媒來催化三酸甘油酯的轉酯化反應，在工業上大多使用勻相觸媒來催化轉酯化反應，但是移除觸媒和純化產物的繁雜程序增加了整體的生產成本，使用異相觸媒雖然效率上不及勻相觸媒，但是它容易分離的特性解決了勻相觸媒在生產時難以解決的問題，權衡之下，使用固體觸媒來生產生質柴油是個非常有潛力的選擇。
本研究主要以水熱合成法來製備全矽Beta沸石(All-Silica Zeolite BEA)作為催化大豆油轉酯化反應，但是尚未改質的全矽Beta沸石觸媒並沒有催化轉酯化反應的活性，需要利用離子交換法來對觸媒改質，使全矽Beta沸石擔載鋰離子來催化轉酯化反應。實驗將分為兩大部分，第一部分為不同鋰擔載量的沸石觸媒對於轉酯化反應產率及耐用性的探討，第二部分為利用各種儀器來分析各種不同鋰擔載量的沸石觸媒，來研究活性物質鋰是如何來催化轉酯化反應。
全矽Beta沸石以莫耳比例：1 SiO2: 0.546 TEAOH: 0.538 NH4F: 6 H2O在150 ℃下以水熱法合成五天即可得到全矽Beta沸石。離子交換方面，鋰擔載量隨著離子交換LiOH(aq)的濃度上升而上升，但在中性的環境下 (LiCl(aq))離子交換效果就相當的差。大多數的觸媒在油:醇:觸媒重量比1:25:1並且在60 C下反應會有不錯的轉酯化效果，可以在4小時內達到70 %的產率。在耐用性方面0.2M LiOH Si-BEA有最好的耐用性，反應第11次還有50 %的產率。經由觸媒的鑑定，發現全矽Beta沸石Q4 [4Si] 的結構經LiOH(aq)離子交換形成Q3 [3Si,1Li]的結構，因Q3 [Si(OSi)3(OLi)]結構上的氧原子(3.5)和鋰原子(0.98)的電負度差，形成了路易士鹼的鹼性位置，使得甲醇變成甲醇陰離子(CH3O-)，對三酸甘油酯上的羰基進行親核基攻擊，產生一連串的反應最終得到甘油及生質柴油。

In this study, the all-silica zeolite beta, i.e. zeolite beta without aluminum present, was synthesized and properly modified to catalyze the transesterification reaction of triolein/soybean oils to fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs, aka biodiesel) in excess methanol. All-silica zeolite beta (denoted as Si-BEA) was synthesized via the hydrothermal processes by using silica-gel (Ludox® AS-40) as a starting material with an addition of NH4F and tetraethylammonium hydroxide at 150 C for 5 days. Si-BEA was further modified with the LiOH ion exchange method. The properties of zeolite were characterized with XRD, solid-state NMR, SEM, BET and TPD. Variables in transesterification process such as lithium loading, basicity and reaction temperature were studied to optimize the reaction conditions. The yield under the optimal condition exceeded 80% in 2h reaction at 60 C using Si-BEA modified via 0.2M LiOH ion exchange method, denoted as 0.2M LiOH Si-BEA. Moreover, the durability of catalysts varies with lithium loading and basicity. The yield of transesterification using 0.2M LiOH Si-BEA could still reach 40% in the 11th cycles of the transesterification reaction. The 29Si ssNMR revealed that, on Si-BEA, the Q4 [4Si] structure was partially degraded to the Q3 [3Si, 1Li] structure via LiOH ion exchange method. Because of electronegativity difference between lithium (0.98) and oxygen (3.5), the Q3 [3Si, 1Li] structure provides the sites of Lewis base and makes adsorbed methanol deprotonated. Thus, deprotonated methanol nucleophilically attacks the carbonyl group of triglycerides. Eventually, the triglycerides were turned to glycerol and biodiesel via this proposed mechanism.

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