Recent advances of studies in ethyl methyl carbonate synthesis via transesterification process

Ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) has been widely used as a solvent in electrolyte of lithium-ion batteries due to its outstanding physico-chemical properties. The transesterification method has been industrially applied to produce EMC owing to its excellent efficiency, simple synthesis processing and high product purity. This article systematically reviewed the advances in EMC synthesis via the transesterification approach, including the thermodynamics, kinetics, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, reaction mechanism and reaction engineering, particularly focusing on new progress in the last five years. For homogeneous catalysts, the relationship between alkali strength and catalytic efficiency was discussed based on pK_b (alkalinity coefficient). The effects of different anion and cation structures on the catalytic performances of imidazole ionic liquids were also investigated. A possible deactivation mechanism of the sodium methoxide catalyst, which was widely applied in manufacture, was proposed. The effects of different preparation methods, surface acidity and basicity of heterogeneous catalysts on catalytic efficiency were critically reviewed and discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of as-reported catalysts with various types were carefully compared. The future studies should focus on the solid base catalyst with higher efficiency and three-phase catalytic distillation technology.