Glycerol is a renewable origin compound that has been generated on a large
scale in biodiesel production processes. Terpenic alcohols are abundant raw material
present in several essential oils. Therefore, developing processes to convert this cheap
feedstock to a more value-added compound is important from an economic and
environmental viewpoint. This work summarizes the main advances obtained in
different kinds of tin (II) salts-catalyzed reactions in the last decade, where the goal
substrates were glycerol and terpenic alcohols. Tin (II) halides are water-tolerant Lewis
acids, solid, inexpensive and easy handling, which showed be efficient catalysts in
reactions of carbamoylation and ketalization of glycerol, as well as in esterification of
terpenic alcohols. The products generated from terpenic alcohol esterification are
valuable ingredients for fragrance, agrochemicals and pharmaceutical industries.
Conversely, esters and glycerol ketals are useful as fuel additives. Terpenic carbamates
are ingredients in agrochemical synthesis. Therefore, due to great success on these
reactions, Sn (II) catalysts are an attractive option to the traditional Bronsted acid
catalysts.
Keywords: Esterification, Glycerol, Ketalization, Terpenic Alcohols, Tin(II)
Catalysts.
