Magnesium Aluminum Spinel as an Acid–Base Catalyst for Transesterification of Diethyl Carbonate with Dimethyl Carbonate

Abstract

Mesoporous MgAl2O4 spinel (MAO), prepared via one-pot evaporation induced self-assembly strategy, was reported here as an acid–base bifunctionalization catalyst for the reaction for ethyl methyl carbonate from dimethyl carbonate and diethyl carbonate. The physical/chemical properties of MgAl2O4 were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, N2 adsorption–desorption, temperature programmed desorption and Fourier transform infrared. The effects to the reaction by adjusting the catalyst amount and reaction time were tested. The transesterification induced by MAO is much faster, and meantime, the thermal stability of MAO is much higher. Moreover, the catalyst can be used directly after filtration without drying and reused for at least five times with only 1.2 % loss in catalytic activity. MgAl2O4 as an acid–base catalyst was synthesized, characterized and successfully applied for the transesterification of DMC with DEC synthesizing EMC.