Dimethyl carbonate production via transesterification reaction using nitrogen functionalized graphene oxide nanosheets

Abstract

Nitrogen-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) nanocatalysts were prepared using ammonia, methylamine, ethylamine, and hydrazine hydrate as a nitrogen source. Nanocatalysts samples were thoroughly characterized using XRD, Raman, FTIR, XPS, FESEM, TEM, and TGA techniques. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of surface acidic and basic sites were done by NH3- and CO2-TPD techniques. Nanocatalysts were further examined for DMC production via transesterification reaction of propylene carbonate (PC) with CH3OH. Quantitative analysis of nitrogen-containing functional groups in the prepared sample with respect to other functional moieties was performed. Among various nanocatalysts, ammonia functionalized GO (AGO) was found to be the best for DMC production. At optimized reaction conditions of temperature (180 °C), time (6 h), and catalyst dose (1 wt% with respect PC), the highest DMC yield of ∼50% was observed. Reusability studies using AGO nanocatalyst were conducted up to four consecutive test cycles to evaluate catalysts' potentiality towards DMC synthesis. Thus, N-functionalized GO is a useful metal-free nanocatalyst that could also be explored for other chemical processes.