One-pot synthesis of dimethyl carbonate catalyzed by [bmim]BF₄/CH₃ONa

The one-pot synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from propylene oxide, CO₂, and methanol was studied. The catalyst adopted was a mixture of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim]BF₄) and sodium methoxide. At 4 MPa, 5 hr, and 150°C reaction conditions, the conversion of propylene oxide was above 95%, and the selectivity for propylene carbonate was 87.1%. An optimum molar ratio of sodium methoxide/[bmim]BF₄ existed for the formation of DMC, and the optimum amount of [bmim]BF₄ was 0.6 mL.