A novel non-phosgene process for the synthesis of methyl N-phenyl carbamate from methanol and phenylurea: Effect of solvent and catalyst

A novel environmentally benign process for the synthesis of methyl N-phenyl carbamate (Mpc) from methanol and phenylurea was studied. Effect of solvent and catalyst on the reaction behavior was investigated. The IR spectra of methanol and phenylurea dissolved in different solvents were also recorded. Compared with use of methanol as both a reactant and a solvent, phenylurea conversion and selectivity to Mpc increased by using toluene, benzene or anisole as a solvent, while phenylurea conversion decreased slightly by using n-octane as a solvent. The phenylurea conversion declined nearly 50% when dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was used as a reaction media, and MPC selectivity decreased as well. The catalytic reaction tests showed that a basic catalyst enhanced the selectivity to Mpc while an acidic catalyst promoted the formation of methyl carbamate and aniline. Moderate degree of basicity showed the best catalytic performance in the cases studied.