Progress on Catalyst Development for Direct Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate from CO2 and Methanol

Abstract

The reaction of carbon dioxide transformation is tremendously interesting in research societies from the viewpoint of carbon resource and also to resolve the environmental problem of carbon dioxide emission. Carbon dioxide (CO 2) is a suitable C1 feedstock which can be converted into a number of valuable fine chemicals. The utilization of CO 2 not only helps to reduce the carbon emission but should also lead to economic benefits, if CO 2 is converted into chemicals for which there are significant demands or have a high added value. The reaction of CO 2 with methanol is one of the pathways to directly synthesize dimethyl carbonate. However, the catalyst is a key factor in the reaction development. Herein, in this review, the focus is made on materials for the catalyzed reaction for the direct synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from CO 2 and methanol. The developed catalysts (homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts) used so far are discussed, together with the respective operating conditions to obtain the optimum catalyst performance. Interesting ideas to allow the direct synthesis of carbonate products from CO 2 with methanol using developed novel catalysts with high performance and efficiency for the economy are offered in this review.

Reaction of CO2 With Alcohols to Linear-, Cyclic-, and Poly-Carbonates Using CeO2-Based Catalysts

“…The catalysts can be divided into two categories: homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. Typical homogeneous catalysts are Sn alkoxides, Zn acetate, ionic liquids, inorganic, or organic base, and so on, which have been introduced in previous reviews (Honda et al, 2014a;Huang et al, 2015;Chaemchuen et al, 2019). The present review is focusing on the recent progress on heterogeneous catalysts.…”

Carbon Dioxide Methanation Enabled by Biochar-Nanocatalyst Composite Materials: A Mini-Review

“…CO 2 mitigation in the atmosphere is investigated via two strategies: capture and utilization. CO 2 can be captured by numerous high surface porous materials [5] or converted into useful compounds and fuels, such as dimethyl carbonate [6], or via dry reforming [7,8], CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol [9], and CO 2 methanation [10]. Dry reforming reactions require high operating temperatures, as CH 4 and CO 2 are thermally stable compounds, in addition to the fast coke formation, as carbon originates from two sources (CH 4 and CO 2 ), which poisons the catalyst and blocks the reactors [11][12][13].…”

Carbon Dioxide Methanation Enabled by Biochar-Nanocatalyst Composite Materials. A Mini-Review

“…CO2 mitigation in the atmosphere is investigated via two strategies : capture and utilization. CO2 could be captured by numerous high surface porous materials [5], or converted into useful compounds such as dimethyl carbonate [6], or via dry reforming [7], CO2 hydrogenation to methanol [8], and CO2 methanation [9]. Dry reforming reactions require high operating temperatures, as CH4 and CO2 are thermally stable compounds in addition to the fast coke formation, as carbon originates from two sources (CH4 and CO2), which poisons the catalyst and blocks the reactors [10].…”