A catalyst composed of an organic phosphorus compound having a trivalent or pentavalent phosphorus atom and at least one carbon-phosphorus bonding or a combination of the organic phosphorus compound and a halogen atom-containing compound is effective for decarbonylation, that is, for releasing carbon monoxide from a compound containing a moiety of -CO-CO-O- in its molecular structure.
A diaryl carbonate is prepared at a high yield and a high selectivity by heating a diaryl oxalate in the presence of an organic phosphorous compound to release carbon monoxide therefrom. A halogen atom-containing compound can be employed in combination with the organic phosphorous compound.
A high purity diaryl carbonate is produced with a high efficiency by reacting carbon monoxide with an alkyl nitrite and/or an alkyl alcohol; reacting the resultant dialkyl oxalate with a hydroxyaryl compound, for example, phenol; decarbonylating the resultant diaryl oxalate to produce a diaryl carbonate and carbon monoxide; and collecting the diaryl carbonate from the decarbonylation reaction product mixture, the carbon monoxide produced in the decabonylation step being optionally reused for the production of the dialkyl oxalate.
An improved process for preparing a diaryl carbonate from a diaryl oxalate in a liquid phase by decarbonylation utilizes a reaction vessel composed of two or more reaction chambers which are connected in series. The process is composed of the steps of continuously introducing the diaryl oxalate and an organic phosphorus compound having a trivalent or pentavalent phosphorus atom and at least one carbon-phosphorus bonding into the first chamber and continuously recovering a reaction mixture mainly containing the diaryl carbonate from the last chamber under the condition that a mixture of the diaryl oxalate and the organic phosphorus compound is heated in the reaction chambers, while discharging carbon monoxide released from the mixture.
A process for preparing a diaryl carbonate from a diaryl oxalate in a liquid phase by decarbonylation is conducted by the steps of:
1) performing a decarbonylation reaction of a diaryl oxalate in the presence of an organic phosphorus compound catalyst to give a reaction mixture of a diaryl carbonate and the organic phosphorus compound catalyst;
2) recovering the diaryl carbonate from the reaction mixture; and
3) performing a decarbonylation reaction of a diaryl oxalate in the presence of the reaction mixture from which the diaryl carbonate has been recovered and to which a halogen atom-containing compound is added, to give a reaction mixture of a diaryl carbonate and the organic phosphorus compound catalyst.