Protic onium salts-catalyzed synthesis of 5-aryl-2-oxazolidinones from aziridines and CO2 under mild conditions

Protic onium salts, e. g. pyridium iodide, proved to be highly efficient and recyclable catalysts for the selective synthesis of 5-aryl-2-oxazolidinones under a CO2 atmosphere at room temperature, presumably due to aziridine activation assisted by hydrogen bonding on the basis of H-1 NMR and in situ FT IR under CO2 pressure study.