How to convert an organic carbonate to its formate ester? I'm currently working on a chemistry project in which I need to convert ethyl methyl carbonate to ethyl formate.



I only have a simple background in organic chemistry (and I haven't seen anything about reaction mechanisms yet), but I was guessing water could be used in this reaction, to produce $\ce{CH3OH}$ and replace the $\ce{-OCH3}$ group by an $\ce{-OH}$ group. Then the next step would be to remove the oxygen from the  $\ce{-OH}$ group. I've seen that compounds such as $\ce{LiAlH4}$ can do this, but I'm looking for a catalyst to make the process more economically viable, in case the proposed synthetic path is correct.

Does anyone know how to perform the conversion, or even by following another synthetic path? I've got no idea whether this process is correct. I'm also trying to keep the process as low energy-consuming as possible.

I agree it would be better to start from ethanol and formic acid, but I have to start with this molecule.
First use $\ce{EtO-/EtOH}$, then lithium-tri-tert-butoxy-aluminium hydride. This will convert it to diethyl carbonate and as the reducing agent is hindered you can manipulate reaction conditions to get the desired product.

Or another way is to hydrolyse it in basic medium to get $\ce{H2CO3}$ and then evaporate $\ce{H2O}$ and $\ce{CO2}$ then after separating it will open a large number if ways as you have got ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol.