Zirconium d-Transition Metal Phosphates As Catalysts for Selective Dehydration of Methanol to Dimethyl Ether

M0.5(1 +x)FexZr2 –x(PO4)3 (M = Ni, Cu, Mn; 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) phosphates have been studied as catalysts for methanol conversion in the temperature range 200–450°C. The results demonstrate that the most active and selective catalysts among these materials are Ni0.5Zr2(PO4)3 and Cu0.65Fe0.3Zr1.7(PO4)3. The dimethyl ether yield on the synthesized materials is comparable to that on available commercial catalysts.