title: Vapor-phase carbonylation of dimethoxymethane over H-Faujasite.
abstract: Carbonylation gets a phase lift: The usual liquid-phase, high-pressure processes for carbonylating formaldehydes are avoided in a novel vapor-phase reaction. Using an acid zeolite (Faujasite) at near-atmospheric pressure dimethoxymethane (DMM; the dimethyl acetal of formaldehyde; see scheme) is carbonylated to produce methyl methoxyacetate (MMAc). This approach provides a new route to ethylene glycol under mild conditions.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Fuat E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Tae-Jin
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Alexis T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Bell