Zeolitic imidazole framework-67 as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of ethyl methyl carbonate

• ZIF-67 catalyst was first used for preparing ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC).
• Excellent yield and selectivity of EMC were obtained over ZIF-67 under mild conditions.
• ZIF-67 catalyst displayed excellent reusability for the synthesis of EMC.

Zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF)-67, a novel environmentally benign catalyst, was developed for the preparation of ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) from dimethyl carbonate and diethyl carbonate. EMC was obtained in 83.39% yield using ZIF-67 as the catalyst when compared to that obtained using ZIF-8 catalyst. NH3 and CO2 temperature-programmed desorption methods were used to evaluate the presence of both acidic and basic sites in ZIF-67 catalyst. The lager surface area of ZIF-67 favors for the adsorption of reactants over the solid surface of the catalyst, facilitating the formation of EMC. Moreover, ZIF-67 catalyst exhibited excellent reusability without significant loss in its catalytic activity.

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