Preparation and application of stabilized mesoporous MgO–ZrO2 solid base

A novel mesoporous solid base, MgO–ZrO2 was prepared via appropriate sol–gel process and employed in the synthesis of propylene glycol methyl ether from propylene oxide and methanol. It was found that this novel solid base catalyst exhibited high specific area and thermal stability. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopies (TEM) and N2 adsorption proved that the material preserved its mesoporous framework even up to 700 °C. Temperature programmed desorption of CO2 (CO2-TPD) indicated that two types of basic sites coexisted on the surface of MgO–ZrO2, and the solid base showed fairly high CO2 adsorption capacity. Owing to the high specific surface area and mesoporous structure, more basic sites were exposed and the catalyst showed high activity towards the synthesis of propylene glycol methyl ether from methanol and propylene oxide.