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Efficient and Sustainable Synthesis of Dimethyl Succinate Through Oxidative Dicarbonylation of Ethylene with Oxygen as the Economical Terminal Oxidant

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study presents an efficient and environmentally friendly route for synthesizing succinic acid derivatives via palladium-catalyzed oxidative dicarbonylation of ethylene, utilizing oxygen as the terminal oxidant. By systematically optimizing reaction parameters—including catalyst composition, solvent volume, gas ratio, temperature, and additives—the turnover number (TON) for dimethyl succinate was significantly enhanced to 10,325. This strategy not only demonstrates the potential of CO and ethylene as simple and abundant C1 and C2 building blocks but also highlights the viability of oxygen as a sustainable oxidant. The developed process offers a promising pathway toward the cost-effective and scalable production of biodegradable materials such as poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), with important implications for advancing green synthesis and enabling an autonomous supply chain in the biodegradable polymer industry.

Source: Chemistry

DOI: 10.3390/chemistry8050060

Authors: Hefei Yang, Chang-Sheng Kuai, Chao Xu, Xiao-Feng Wu

Institutions: Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy

Language: English

Topic: Oxidative Organic Chemistry Reactions

Subfield: Organic Chemistry

Field: Chemistry

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,172