One-Pot Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate over a Binary Catalyst of an Ionic Liquid and an Alkali Carbonate under Low Pressure.

A mild and highly efficient approach has been developed for the one-pot synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from epoxide, carbon dioxide, and methanol under low initial pressure. The key to the successful transformation is the use of a bicomponent catalytic system composed of a hydroxyl-functionalized ionic liquid and an alkali carbonate. This bicomponent catalytic system demonstrated excellent reusability in four runs. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a 64% yield of DMC from propylene oxide and an 81% yield of DMC from ethylene oxide were obtained.