Oxidative carbonylation of phenol to diphenyl carbonate by Pd/MO–MnFe2O4 magnetic catalyst

• MnFe2O4 spinel ferrites were prepared by the co-precipitation method as the catalysts supporter.
• Pd/PbO–MnFe2O4 showed higher catalytic activity than other Pd/MO–MnFe2O4 catalysts.
• The oxygen deficiency and ion transference influences the catalytic activity.
• The catalyst showed well superparamagnetic behavior with high saturation magnetization.
• The Pd/10% PbO–MnFe2O4 catalyst may be applied to the magnetically stabilized bed reactor.

In order to screen one suitable catalyst for magnetically stabilized fluidized bed (MSFB) reactor in the process of oxidative carbonylation of phenol to diphenyl carbonate (DPC), Pd/MnFe2O4 catalysts were chosen, then prepared and characterized by XRD, H2-TPR, O2-TPD and VSM. Compared to the other metal ion doped spinel ferrite catalysts, the catalytic activity of Pd/10% PbO–MnFe2O4 was much higher, which the single pass yield of DPC reached 33.12% with selectivity above 99%, and TOF (turnover frequency) reached 70.56 molDPC·(molPd h)−1. The result showed that the formation of the ferrite oxygen-deficient and ion transference in the ferrites was in favor of the catalytic activity. When the support MnFe2O4 was calcinated at 500 °C, the saturation magnetization of the obtained catalyst Pd/10% PbO–MnFe2O4 came up to 37.81 Am2 kg−1. With good magnetic property and brilliant catalytic activity the catalyst Pd/PbO–MnFe2O4 may suite for industrial experiments in MSFB reactor in future.