Poly(pyridine-2,5-diyl)–CuCl 2 catalyst for synthesis of dimethyl carbonate by oxidative carbonylation of methanol: catalytic activity and corrosion influence

Abstract

A π-conjugated polymer, poly(pyridine-2,5-diyl) (PPy) was investigated as a support for CuCl2 in the synthesis of dimethyl carbonate by oxidative carbonylation of methanol. The PPy–CuCl2 adduct had high catalytic activity which was comparable to that of the homogeneous CuCl2 catalyst. The adduct caused corrosion of stainless-steel vessels only to minor extent, compared with the homogeneous CuCl2 catalyst. This PPy–CuCl2 catalyst was easily recycled by filtration and showed a similar catalytic activity in the third time use. The presence of the π-conjugated system in PPy, through which electrons can move, may bring about the high catalytic activity for the oxidative carbonylation of methanol, which involves Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox processes.