Catalytic pyrolysis of dimethyl carbonate to aromatic hydrocarbons

Dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is an environmentally friendly molecule which can be produced from CO 2 and methanol which was also productized by hydrogenation of CO 2 . The catalytic conversion of DMC into fuels and chemicals expands the repertoire of the renewable chemical industry as well as the utilization of CO 2 . In this paper we present a novel route for the conversion of DMC into aromatic hydrocarbons via catalytic pyrolysis. Molecular sieve HZSM-5 was found to give high catalytic activity and aromatics selectivity. Under optimized condition (400°C, N 2 flow rate of 10 ml/min and Weight Hourly Space Velocity of 0.5 h −1 ), a yield of aromatic hydrocarbons of 21.76 wt% was observed. The catalyst also exhibited excellent reusability under optimized reaction conditions as it remained its initial activity after fifth cycle.