Chinese Journal of Catalysis

Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2017, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (11): 1860-1869.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(17)62898-5

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Solid base catalysts derived from Ca-M-Al (M=Mg, La, Ce, Y) layered double hydroxides for dimethyl carbonate synthesis by transesterification of methanol with propylene carbonate

Yunhui Liaoa,b, Feng Lia, Xin Daia,b, Ning Zhaoa,c, Fukui Xiaoa,c   

  1. a State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, China;
    b University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    c National Engineering Research Center for Coal-Based Synthesis, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, China
  • Received:2017-07-11 Revised:2017-08-15 Online:2017-11-18 Published:2017-11-24
  • Contact: 10.1016/S1872-2067(17)62898-5
  • Supported by:

    This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province (201601D102006) and the Key Science and Technology Program of Shanxi Province, China (MD2014-09, MD2014-10).

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Abstract:

Composite solid base catalysts derived from Ca-M-Al (M=Mg, La, Ce, Y) layered double hydroxides (LDH) were synthesized, characterized and applied to the transesterification of methanol with pro-pylene carbonate. X-ray diffraction analyses of the catalysts show that all of the catalysts were in the form of composite oxides. Compared with the Ca-Al LDH catalyst, the specific surface areas and pore volumes of the catalysts were increased with the introduction of Mg, La or Ce. The catalytic perfor-mance of these catalysts increases in the order of Ca-Y-Al < Ca-Al < Ca-Ce-Al < Ca-La-Al < Ca-Mg-Al, which is consistent with the total surface basic amounts of these materials and the formation of especially strong basic sites following modification with Mg and La. The Ca-Mg-Al catalyst shows the highest (Ca+Mg):Al atomic ratio, indicating that it likely contains more unsaturated O2- ions, providing it with the highest concentration of very strong basic sites. The recyclability of these cat-alysts is improved following the addition of Mg, La, Ce or Y, with the Ca-Mg-Al maintaining a high level of activity after ten recycling trials. X-ray diffraction analyses of fresh and used Ca-Mg-Al demonstrate that this catalyst is exceptionally stable, which could be of value in practical applica-tions related to heterogeneous catalysis.

Key words: Ca-M-Al layered double hydroxide, Solid base, Transesterification, Dimethyl carbonate