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Dimethyl ether (DME, CH₃OCH₃) is the simplest dialkyl ether, and its synthesis in catalytic chemistry is the formation of that C–O–C linkage from C1 oxygenates. The established industrial route is acid-catalyzed dehydration of methanol (2 CH₃OH ⇌ CH₃OCH₃ + H₂O) over solid acids such as γ-alumina or zeolites. Direct synthesis couples methanol formation and dehydration in one reactor, either from syngas or from CO₂ hydrogenation on a bifunctional metal/acid catalyst ^[1]. Cu/ZnO catalysts derived from bimetallic metal–organic frameworks illustrate the methanol-forming function that feeds the acid-catalyzed condensation to DME ^[2]. Kinetic, adsorption, and heat- and mass-transfer effects jointly determine the observed rate and selectivity of the bifunctional sequence ^[3]. The conceptual core is construction of DME as a discrete C2 ether, not subsequent conversion of DME to olefins or hydrocarbons. The process is a C–O coupling of C1 units, distinct from Fischer–Tropsch C–C polymerization of CO and from carbonylation of methanol to acetic acid.