Copper Supported Mesoporous Carbon Cu/CMK-3 for Catalytic Oxy-carbonylation of Methanol in Vapor Phase

Ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-3 was synthesized via the nanocasting route, and used to prepare Cu/CMK-3 catalyst for dimethyl carbonate (DMC) synthesis by oxidative carbonylation of methanol in a gas-phase reaction. The effect of activation temperature on the catalyst structure and catalytic performance were investigated. N-2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results revealed that the Cu/CMK-3 catalysts were mesoporous, the active copper species dispersed well in the surface and pore channels of CMK-3, their diameter were between 10 similar to 20 nm, far less than that of Cu/activated ear ban (Cu/AC). The corresponding catalytic activity in a fixed-lied reactor increased with the activation temperature and the Cu/CMK-3 catalyst prepared at 450 degrees C exhibited the best catalytic activity. The space time yield (STY) was 286 mg.g(-1).h(-1) and the selectivity for DMC was 76% in 10 h running. A long periodic test also confirmed a better catalytic stability of Cu/CMK-3 compared to Cu/AC, the STY of DMC declined by 20% after 50 h reaction and 28% after 75 h reaction.