Silicate was modified with Nb and V targeting the conversion of waste and commercial glycerol to obtain high added value chemicals. The results showed that the presence of vanadium and niobium improved the glycerol conversion (>95%) with good selectivity to allyl alcohol (commercial glycerol) or acetone (waste glycerol). The presence of Nb and V promoted the formation of nanorods morphology, generating small particle size and increasing the amount of exposed niobium. The results showed clearly that the type of glycerol can drive the selectivity of the reaction, indicating that the performance of the catalysts may be tested using both waste or commercial glycerol in order to avoid bad interpretation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.