Molybdosphoric Acid Mixed with Titania Used as a Catalyst to Synthesize Diphenyl Carbonate via Transesterification of Dimethyl Carbonate and Phenol

The 12-molybdosphoric acid mixed with titania (MPA-TiO2) was found to be a novel and efficient catalyst for the synthesis of diphenyl carbonate (DPC) via transesterification of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and phenol. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (IR) techniques were employed to characterize the prepared catalysts. The effect of the weight ratio of the 12-molybdosphoric acid to titania on the transesterification was investigated. A 13.1% yield of DPC and an 11.6% yield of methyl phenyl carbonate (MPC) were obtained over MPA-TiO22 with the weight ratio of MPA to TiO2 as 5:1.