In light of my recent posting (July 9, 2010) where I lamented the dearth of information from Canada’s National Institute of Nanotechnology, I feel obliged to note that I now have gotten more information from Thailand’s National Nanotechnology Center this year than I have from our own. There’s this news item on Nanowerk,

Researchers at Thailand’s National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), Nanoscale Simulation Laboratory are investigating the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of the methanolysis and hydrolysis reactions of glycerol triacetate or triacetin, using Density Functional Theory (DFT).

In a recent study, which was published in May 2010 by Journal of Molecular Structure: THEOCHEM (“A DFT investigation of methanolysis and hydrolysis of triacetin”), the authors demonstrated that twelve elementary steps of triacetin methanolysis were studied under acid-catalyzed and base-catalyzed conditions.

As to why this area is of interest, Dr Yuthana Tantirungrotechai, Head of NANOTEC Nanoscale Simulation Lab notes,

“We believe the basic understanding on the methanolysis and its competing hydrolysis reaction of triacylglycerol compounds at the molecular level is essential for the development of biodiesel production” said Dr Yuthana.

Congratulations!