Molybdenum carbide as an efficient catalyst for low-temperature hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate

Abstract

Silica-supported molybdenum carbide (Mo₂C/SiO₂) is found to be a highly active, selective and stable catalyst for the hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate to ethanol at low temperatures (473 K). Moreover, the formation of ethanol over the Mo₂C catalyst performs via the novel intermediate methyl acetate instead of ethylene glycol forming over the Cu catalyst.