CO2 electro-valorization to dimethyl carbonate from methanol using potassium methoxide and the ionic liquid [bmim][Br] in a filter-press electrochemical cell

BACKGROUND: The electrochemical valorization of CO2 into added-value products appears a promising strategy for reducing CO2 emissions and mitigating climate change. Dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is an environmentally friendly valuable chemical, with multiple applications, and has been suggested as a pote...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: García Herrero, María Isabel, Álvarez Guerra, Manuel|||0000-0002-3546-584X, Irabien Gulías, Ángel|||0000-0002-2411-4163
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Cantabria (UC)
Repositorio:UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.unican.es:10902/9845
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10902/9845
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Carbon dioxide
Valorization
Dimethyl carbonate
Methanol
Ionic liquid
Filter-press cell
Descripción
Sumario:BACKGROUND: The electrochemical valorization of CO2 into added-value products appears a promising strategy for reducing CO2 emissions and mitigating climate change. Dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is an environmentally friendly valuable chemical, with multiple applications, and has been suggested as a potential gasoline additive. However, DMC has traditionally been produced from hazardous phosgene and CO routes, which encourages the interest in developing new processes. The aim of this work is to study the valorization process for the direct electrosynthesis of DMC from CO2 and methanol using CH3OK and the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, avoiding the addition of carcinogenic compounds. RESULTS: The evolution of the concentration of DMC was studied in a filter-press electrochemical cell with anodic and cathodic compartments separated by a Nafion 117 membrane, operating for 48 h. A final DMC concentration of 15.07 mmol L-1 was observed. Analysis of the by-products obtained in the process revealed the formation of tetramethyl orthocarbonate and dimethoxymethane, which were detected and quantified in the liquid phase. A simplified reaction scheme was also proposed based on the results obtained. CONCLUSION: Unlike all previous work that used an undivided cell, the new experimental results of this study using a divided cell can serve as a reference for further research to overcome current limitations.