Home – Home – Jornals – Chemistry for Sustainable Development 2013 number 5

Reaction between dimethyl disulphide and methanol at 250–400 °С was studied under the influence of catalysts having strong acidic centers on the surface thereof such as amorphous aluminosilicate, zeolites HNaY and HZSM-5, and aluminochromium catalysts. In the presence of these catalysts, the major product of the reaction is presented by dimethyl sulphide that is formed via the interaction of one disulphide molecule with two molecules of methanol. Among aluminosilicate catalysts, the greatest activity is exhibited by pure zeolite HZSM-5; in the case of modifying the zeolite by cobalt or chromium oxides the catalytic performance thereof is not improved. Catalysts containing chromium oxide on aluminum oxide appeared to be efficient in the formation of dimethyl sulphide, whereas the activity thereof increases with increasing the content of chromium in the catalyst. The rate of the reaction in the presence of chromium catalysts increases in direct proportion with increasing the concentrations of methanol and dimethyl disulphide, as well as with increasing the temperature. The apparent activation energy is equal to (67±2) kJ/mol. The reaction between methanol and dimethyl disulphide in the presence of aluminochromium catalysts occurs selectively and with a high productivity with respect to DMS.