Optimization of a Reactive Distillation Process for the Synthesis of Dialkyl Carbonate Considering Side Reactions

Homogeneous base catalyst with high activity and stability for synthesis of dimethyl carbonate by transesterification†

In the synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) by transesterification, CH₃ONa has been commonly applied as a homogeneous catalyst due to its high catalytic activity, but its stability is unsatisfactory. Here, by studying the influence of ionic liquid base strength on transesterification, we prepared an organic base catalyst, potassium imidazole (KIm), with high catalytic activity and stability, which solved the problem of catalyst deactivation in transesterification. The results showed that when KIm was used in the synthesis of DMC from propylene carbonate (PC) and methanol (MeOH), the chemical equilibrium could be reached within 3 minutes and the yield of DMC reached 73.03%, indicating that KIm performed better in transesterification than the majority of previously reported catalysts. In addition, the activity of the catalyst had hardly decreased after ten cycles of reaction, which can well meet the requirements of industrial production.

A novel type of homogeneous catalyst KIm was developed and applied to the reaction of PC and MeOH to synthesize DMC.