Diethyl carbonate synthesis from CO2 with dehydrating agent of ethylene over catalysts of supported and mixed Ni–Cu@Na3PW12O40

Abstract

Excessive CO2 emissions and alternative energy fuels are two major difficult issues. The utilization of CO2 into fine chemicals is an optimal route. Diethyl carbonate (DEC) is an extremely versatile chemical intermediate. DEC is used in gasoline, pharmaceutical, chemical and other fields. DEC synthesis from CO2 and ethanol is a typical green synthetic route. Ni–Cu@Na3PW12O40 catalysts were synthesized by two novel methods of supported and mixed. The catalyst prepared by mixed method showed nice catalytic performance. It was confirmed that water removal was the key to improving conversion efficiency. In the presence of dehydrating agent of ethylene, ethanol conversion increased from ca. 3% to ca. 40%. Propylene oxide (PO) participated in the reaction and ethanol conversion continued to reach to ca. 90% while DEC selectivity dropped by half. Under optimal conditions, our Ni–Cu@Na3PW12O40 catalyst effectively solved the two major issues above.