Synthesis of Mg5(CO3)4(OH) 2 • 4H2O with flower-like micro-structure and its catalytic activity for transesteriftication of dimethyl carbonate with phenol

A novel flower-like hydrated magnesium carbonate hydroxide, Mg-5(CO3)(4)(OH) (2) center dot 4H(2)O, with miCro-StruCture composed of individual thin nano-sheets was synthesized using a facile solution route without the use of template or organic surfactant. Reaction time has an important effect on the final morphology of the product. The micro-structure and morphology of Mg-5(CO3)(4)(OH) (2) center dot 4H(2)O were characterized by means of X-ray difEractometry(XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy( FE-SEM). Brunauer-Emmett-Tefler( BET) surface areas of the samples were also measured. The probable formation mechanism of flower-like micro-structure was discussed. It was found that Mg-5(CO3)(4)(OH) (2) center dot 4H(2)O with flower-like micro-structure was a novel and efficient catalyst for the synthesis of diphenyl carbonate (DPC) by transesterification of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) with phenol.