Progress in the anhydrous production of oxymethylene ethers (OME) as a renewable diesel fuel in a liquid phase process

Oxymethylene ethers (OME) are a type of synthetic diesel fuel with particularly beneficial emission characteristics, caused by the presence of oxygen in the molecule. A production process based on renewables could therefore contribute to a sustainable solution for mobility. Within this study, synthesis of OME in an anhydrous liquid phase process based on dimethyl ether (DME) has been investigated. Employing various zeolites in a series of screening experiments, catalyst properties and activities have been investigated and thus, structure activity relationships could be identified, contributing to a better understanding of the process and enabling targeted catalyst development. Additionally, the influence of reaction temperature and reactant ratio has been assessed, which are crucial for an optimized OME production process.