Light-assisted O-methylation of phenol with dimethyl carbonate over a layered double oxide catalyst

Abstract

Layered double oxides (LDOs) exhibit high catalytic activity in the O-methylation of phenol under light irradiation, owing to the synergy of the light absorption of phenol molecules to achieve excited states and the facilitated adsorption of reactant molecules by the acid–base pairs of Mg₃Al-LDO, both of which can promote phenol deprotonation.