Efficiency of DBU/iodine cooperative dual catalysis for the solvent-free synthesis of five-membered cyclic carbonates under atmospheric CO2 pressure

The DBU center dot I-2 dual catalyst is shown to have a very high activity for the coupling reaction of CO2 and various (bis)oxiranes. The cooperative work of both DBU and iodine is tolerant to water and allows performing the cyclo-addition of carbon dioxide in very mild conditions of pressure (pCO(2) = 1 bar) and in total absence of organic solvent. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.