The thermal decomposition of simple carbonate esters

Abstract

Dimethyl carbonate does not decompose at temperatures up to 390º. At 300-400º ethyl methyl, diethyl, ethyl propyl and dipropyl carbonates yield carbon dioxide, the alkene and the alcohol at similar rates with E (kJ mol^-1) 182.0, 195.0, 181.6, 182.0 and log A (s^-1) 11.72, 13.06, 11.89, 11.97, respectively. With ethyl propyl carbonate, ethylene is the slightly favoured alkene.