TY - JOUR
T1 - Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate by Transesterification of Propylene Carbonate with Methanol on CeO2-La2O3 Oxides Prepared by the Soft Template Method
AU - Cutrufello, Maria Giorgia
AU - Atzori, Luciano
AU - Meloni, Daniela
AU - Piras, Alessandra
AU - Gazzoli, Delia
AU - Rombi, Elisabetta
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/8/24
Y1 - 2021/8/24
N2 - In this study, CeO2, La2O3, and CeO2-La2O3 mixed oxide catalysts with different Ce/La molar ratios were prepared by the soft template method and characterized by different techniques, including inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, N2 physisorption, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. NH3 and CO2 adsorption microcalorimetry was also used for assessing the acid and base surface properties, respectively. The behavior of the oxides as catalysts for the dimethyl carbonate synthesis by the transesterification of propylene carbonate with methanol, at 160 °C under autogenic pressure, was studied in a stainless-steel batch reactor. The activity of the catalysts was found to increase with an increase in the basic sites density. The formation of dimethyl carbonate was favored on medium-strength and weak basic sites, while it underwent decomposition on the strong ones. Several parasitic reactions occurred during the transformation of propylene carbonate, depending on the basic and acidic features of the catalysts. A reaction pathway has been proposed on the basis of the components identified in the reaction mixture.
AB - In this study, CeO2, La2O3, and CeO2-La2O3 mixed oxide catalysts with different Ce/La molar ratios were prepared by the soft template method and characterized by different techniques, including inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, N2 physisorption, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. NH3 and CO2 adsorption microcalorimetry was also used for assessing the acid and base surface properties, respectively. The behavior of the oxides as catalysts for the dimethyl carbonate synthesis by the transesterification of propylene carbonate with methanol, at 160 °C under autogenic pressure, was studied in a stainless-steel batch reactor. The activity of the catalysts was found to increase with an increase in the basic sites density. The formation of dimethyl carbonate was favored on medium-strength and weak basic sites, while it underwent decomposition on the strong ones. Several parasitic reactions occurred during the transformation of propylene carbonate, depending on the basic and acidic features of the catalysts. A reaction pathway has been proposed on the basis of the components identified in the reaction mixture.
KW - Adsorption microcalorimetry
KW - CeO2-La2O3 oxides
KW - Dimethyl carbonate
KW - Propylene carbonate transesterification
KW - Soft template method
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85113639173&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ma14174802
DO - 10.3390/ma14174802
M3 - Article
SN - 1996-1944
VL - 14
JO - Materials
JF - Materials
IS - 17
M1 - 4802
ER -