Author Type

Undergraduate Student

Date of Award

Spring 4-29-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

July 2026

College Granting Degree

Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Daniel De Lill

Abstract

In the face of mounting climate and energy crises, the employment of eco-friendly resources is critical. The green initiative for fuels demands a renewable, economic resource with minimal carbon footprint and toxicity. Biodiesel, sourced from the transesterification of natural oils and alcohols, has gained attention as a sustainable alternative to petroleum with appreciably lower carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. Industrial biodiesel production, however, is limited by the need for using homogenous catalysts which require, anhydrous and pure feedstocks, constituting more than 70% of manufacturing expenses. Nonetheless, the use of metal-organic frameworks, porous crystalline materials composed of a three-dimensional network of metal centers connected by organic linkers, as heterogeneous catalysts may circumvent these limitations. The aim of this research is to synthesize a crown ether linker and assess its catalytic activity as progress towards employing metal organic frameworks in biodiesel synthesis.

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