Activated Carbon Supported K2CO3 Catalysts for Transesterification of Dimethyl Carbonate with Propyl Alcohol

The catalytic synthesis of dipropyl carbonate (DPC) from the transesterification of dimethyl carbonate and propyl alcohol over activated carbon (AC) supported catalysts had been studied at atmospheric pressure. K2CO3/AC catalyst exhibited better catalytic activity compared with other base catalysts. Influences of various parameters on the catalytic behaviors of K2CO3/AC catalyst had been determined. The suitable K2CO3-loading was about 15%, and the optimum catalyst dosage existed for catalytic activity, which was about 5%. The appropriate reaction time was 5 h on the basis of DPC yield. The utility of K2CO3/AC catalyst for repeated use was tested, the catalytic activity remained 85.1% when the catalyst was employed for the third time. The possible mechanism of the transesterification reaction was also discussed in detail.