Phenol → Diphenyl carbonate

Participants

Reaction Steps

In the column apparatus described in Example 15, under the conditions described there, was reacted a mixture of 50 g/h of methyl phenyl carbonate, 200 g/h of phenol and 3.25 g/h of octylstannonic acid. After establishment of constant conditions, at the head of the apparatus, 210 g/h of a mixture of 1.0% by weight of methanol, 5.4% by weight of dimethyl carbonate and 93.6% by weight of phenol were continuously withdrawal and, at the foot of the column, 48 g/h of a mixture of 9.4% by weight of phenol, 1.9% by weight of methyl phenyl carbonate and 88.7% by weight of diphenyl carbonate were continuously withdrawn. This represented a space-time yield for the formation of diphenyl carbonate of 0.048 g·ml-1· h-1, based on the reactor volume. 20.5% of the methyl phenyl carbonate used reacted with phenol, transesterifying to form diphenyl carbonate. The selectivity of the formation of diphenyl carbonate was >99.9%, that is no by-products could be detected.

Provenance & Evidence