| abstract |
A novel catalyst, which is a complex of organotin with a high boiling electron donor compound acting as solvent which includes bidentate ligands which form 1:1 bidentate and/or 1:2 monodentate adducts with R'2SnX2 (X=Cl, R'O, R'COO or R'COS), R'3SnX, R'2SnO, Ph3-nR'SnXn or Ph4-nSnXn (wherein R'=CqH2q-1 n=0, 1 or 2 and q=2 to 12) and mixtures thereof, such as materials having the general formula RO[CH2(CH2)kCH2O]mR, wherein each R is independently selected from C1-12 alkyl, alkaryl or aralkyl moieties, k=0, 1, 2 or 3 and m=1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. The catalyst is useful in the process for producing dialkyl carbonates, such as dimethyl carbonate, from the reaction of a primary alcohol with urea. |