Articles & Issues
- Language
- English
- Conflict of Interest
- In relation to this article, we declare that there is no conflict of interest.
- Publication history
-
Received April 28, 2026
Accepted June 8, 2026
Available online November 25, 2026
-
This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/3.0) which permits
unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
All issues
Efficient Solvent-Free Mesitylene Synthesis from Acetone using Amorphous NbOPO4 Catalyst
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-026-00771-7
Abstract
The utilization of biomass-derived acetone into high-value aromatics offers a sustainable alternative to fossil-based processes.
In this study, niobium phosphate catalysts with varying P/Nb molar ratios were synthesized and evaluated for
the solvent-free aldol condensation of acetone to mesitylene. Among the catalysts, NbOPO4(0.75) exhibited the highest
surface area (277.2 m2
/g) with moderate acid sites, leading to the highest acetone conversion and mesitylene selectivity.
Comprehensive catalyst characterization—including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area
analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 31P solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (31P-NMR), ammonia
temperature-programmed desorption (NH3-TPD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy
(TEM)—showed synergistic correlations between P/Nb ratio, acidity, morphology, and catalytic activity. Reaction
condition screening showed that a temperature of 220 °C and a moderate pressure of 5 bar Ar maximized mesitylene selectivity
while minimizing side reactions such as acetic acid formation and polymerization. The amorphous NbOPO4 catalyst
also exhibited good recyclability with stable selectivity over cycles. This work demonstrates the potential of amorphous
NbOPO4 as an efficient and reusable solid acid catalyst for upgrading bio-derived acetone into renewable fuel additives.
