One-step Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate by Reaction of Ethylene Oxide, Carbon Dioxide and Methanol Catalyzed by Inorganic Salts

doi:10.1007/s40242-025-5047-3

Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4): 948-954.doi: 10.1007/s40242-025-5047-3

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One-step Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate by Reaction of Ethylene Oxide, Carbon Dioxide and Methanol Catalyzed by Inorganic Salts

ZHANG Ziwang, LI Dandan, HONG Yang GAO Guohua

State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 202162, P. R. China

Received:2025-03-27 Accepted:2025-05-07 Online:2025-08-01 Published:2025-07-24
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 22172053), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2020YFA07100201), the Research Funds of Happiness Flower of East China Normal University (ECNU) (No. 2020ST2203), and the Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project, China (No. B409).

Abstract

Abstract: In this study, various inorganic salts were investigated for the one-step synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) by reaction of ethylene oxide (EO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and methanol (MeOH). The bi-component catalytic system of KI/NaCl achieved high activities and selectivity with a DMC yield of 83% and a by-product, 2-methoxyethanol (2-MET), yield of 2%. The reaction involved two tandem reactions of the cycloaddition of EO and CO₂ and the transesterification of EC and MeOH. Kinetic studies were conducted to investigate the reaction mechanism and found that the strongly nucleophilic KI was the active species of cycloaddition and weak Lewis basic NaCl was the active species of transesterification, respectively. In addition, transesterification was the rate-determining step in the synthesis of DMC. CO₂/KI was capable of synergistically suppressing the by-product 2-MET. This catalytic system exhibited a substrate generality for different epoxides.

Key words: One-step synthesis, Dimethyl carbonate, Inorganic salt, 2-Methoxyethanol, Bi-component catalytic system

ZHANG Ziwang, LI Dandan, HONG Yang GAO Guohua. One-step Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate by Reaction of Ethylene Oxide, Carbon Dioxide and Methanol Catalyzed by Inorganic Salts[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2025, 41(4): 948-954.

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One-step Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate by Reaction of Ethylene Oxide, Carbon Dioxide and Methanol Catalyzed by Inorganic Salts

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