A novel vapor-phase catalytic synthetic approach for industrial production of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl methylether

Wei Li, Gang Yang, Fengniu Lu*, Xiaoling Zhang

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

1,1,1,3,3,3-Hexafluoroisopropylmethyl ether (HFE-356mmz) is an important substitute for chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons due to its zero ozone depletion potential and low global warming potential. However, mass production of HFE-356mmz remains a long-standing challenge. Herein, we applied metal fluorides as catalysts in the methylation of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol to produce HFE-356mmz for the first time. The catalyst not only improves the synthetic efficiency, but also makes the reaction solvent-free. The pollution-free, recyclable, and continuous synthetic process enables industrial production of HFE-356mmz. To optimize the synthetic efficiency, a series of metal fluorides (AlF3, MgF2, CaF2, SrF2, and BaF2) was used, among which MgF2 exhibited the highest activity. Through careful examination of each metal fluoride, it was found that the activity of the catalyst was determined by co-operative action of the surface acid–base properties and the total amount of surface acid sites. Based on these results, a rational mechanism for the vapor-phase methylation was proposed.

Original languageEnglish
Article number117416
JournalApplied Catalysis A: General
Volume594
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 25 Mar 2020

Keywords

  • 1,1,1,3,3,3-Hexafluoroisopropylmethyl ether
  • Lewis acidity
  • Lewis basicity
  • Metal fluoride
  • Vapor-phase catalytic methylation

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