Chemsuschem Chemistry And Sustainability, Energy & Materials 2012-08-01

Transesterification of diethyl oxalate with phenol over sol-gel MoO(3)/TiO(2) catalysts.

Trupti Kotbagi, Duy Luan Nguyen, Christine Lancelot, Carole Lamonier, Kaew-Arpha Thavornprasert, Zhu Wenli, Mickaël Capron, Louise Jalowiecki-Duhamel, Shubhangi Umbarkar, Mohan Dongare, Franck Dumeignil

Index: ChemSusChem 5(8) , 1467-73, (2012)

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Abstract

The transesterification of diethyl oxalate (DEO) with phenol to form diphenyl oxalate (DPO) has been carried out in the liquid phase over very efficient MoO(3)/TiO(2) solid-acid sol-gel catalysts. A selectivity of 100 % with a remarkable maximum yield of 88 % were obtained, which opens the route to downstream phosgene-free processes for the synthesis of polycarbonates. Interpretation of the results of various acidity measurements (NH(3) and pyridine desorption, methanol oxidation as a probe reaction) allowed us to identify the catalytic sites as Lewis acid sites.Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.