Mesoporous Ag1(NH4)2PW12O40 heteropolyacids as effective catalysts for the esterification of oleic acid to biodiesel

Mesoporous Ag1(NH4)2PW12O40 (AgN-PW) was developed by co-doping silver and ammonium ions into phosphotungstic acid as an efficient and stable catalyst for free fatty acid esterification, and its physicochemical properties were derived from X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, N2 adsorption–desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The final catalyst showed a typical Keggin structure of heteropoly acids. This solid acid exhibited remarkable catalytic activity (nearly 100% conversion) in the esterification of oleic acid with methanol for biodiesel production under optimum synthesis conditions. Furthermore, due to the high activity presented in various esterifications of free fatty acids and non-edible oils with high acid values, the mesoporous AgN-PW material was proven to be an environmentally friendly catalyst for industrial biodiesel production.