Catalytic dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether over aluminophosphate and silico-aluminophosphate molecular sieves

► Aluminophosphates and silico-aluminophosphates with one-dimensional pore structure are studied for methanol catalytic dehydration to DME. ► The reaction temperatures and acid sites are key factors controlling the catalytic performances. ► SAPO-11 exhibits high activity, perfect DME selectivity, and good durability at 250 °C, which demonstrate its potential for industrial application.