| abstract |
Hydroxyaromatic compounds such as phenol arenconverted to diaryl carbonates by reaction with oxygen and carbonnmonoxide in the presence of a catalyst package which typicallyncomprises a group VIIIB metal or compound thereof, an inorganicncocatalyst, an organic cocatalyst and a hexaalkylguanidinium bromidenor chloride, preferably bromide. The use of the hexaalkylguanidiniumnsalt causes an increase in the yield of diaryl carbonate without andecrease in selectivity. |