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Towards a Sustainable Synthesis of Oxymethylene Dimethyl Ether by Homogeneous Catalysis and Uptake of Molecular
Andreas Peter1, Samuel M Fehr1, Valentin Dybbert1
1Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry and Materials Research Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Oxymethylene dimethyl ethers (OMEn ; CH3 (-OCH2 -)n O-CH3 , n=3-5) are a novel class of sustainable synthetic fuels, which are of increasing interest due to their soot-free combustion. Herein a novel anhydrous OMEn synthesis route is presented. Catalyzed by trimethyloxonium salts, dimethoxymethane takes up monomeric gaseous formaldehyde instantaneously and forms high purity OMEn at temperatures of 25-30 °C. This new anhydrous approach using molecular formaldehyde and catalytic amounts of highly active trimethyloxonium salts represents a promising new step towards a sustainable formation of OMEn emanating from CO2 and H2 .
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Sustainable Development
Test for Homogeneity
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Ethers are organic compounds with an ether functional group which is characterized by an oxygen atom connected to two — identical or different — alkyl, aryl, or vinyl groups. The C–O–C linkage in dimethyl ether — the simplest ether — has an approximately tetrahedral bond angle of 110.3 degrees. The oxygen atom is sp3- hybridized, with the C–O distance being about 140 pm.
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Based on their attached substituent...

