CO2 capturing and in situ conversion at mild condition: Efficient synthesis of methyl phenyl carbonate

The capture and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into useful and valuable chemicals are receiving more and more research interesting. Herein, we designed a new and efficient route to synthesize methyl phenyl carbonate (MPC) via the carbonylation of phenol (PhOH) with CO 2 and methanol (CH 3 OH). PhOH and CH 3 OH react with 1,8-diazabicyclo-[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) to form ionic liquids [DBUH][PhO] and [DBUH][CH 3 O]. The DBU-based ionic liquids exhibited outstanding performance in CO 2 capture and in situ conversion at room temperature. The reusability of the system had no obviously change after 6 cycles. This protocol provides a sustainable and environmentally friendly preferential technique for the production of MPC, and extends the chemical utilization of CO 2 .