Zirconyl chloride: an efficient recyclable catalyst for synthesis of 5-aryl-2-oxazolidinones from aziridines and CO2 under solvent-free conditions

Zirconyl chloride was found to be an efficient catalyst for the cycloaddition reaction of aziridines with CO2, thus leading to the preferential formation of 5-aryl-2-oxazolidinones under solvent-free conditions. The methodology could be extended to various substituted aziridines with high conversion and chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity. Furthermore, the catalyst could be reused over five times without significant loss in activity. Interestingly, the recovered catalyst showed higher activity in comparison with the fresh catalyst, presumably due to its morphological variation. The use of this cheap and moisture stable catalyst make this protocol practical, environmentally benign, and economically attractive. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.