Catalytic coupling of CO2 and epoxides by lignin-based catalysts: A combined experimental and theoretical study

Solvent Free Ambient Pressure CO2 Cycloaddition Catalyzed by Cobalt-Impregnated 2D-Nanofibrous COFs

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) constitute an evolving class of permanently porous and ordered materials, and they have recently attracted increased interest due to their intriguing morphological features and numerous applications in gas storage, adsorption, and catalysis. However, their low aqueous stabilities and tedious syntheses generally hamper their use in heterogeneous catalysis. Nonetheless, a capable and water-stable heterogeneous catalytic system for coupling CO2/epoxides to generate industrially important cyclic carbonates is still of great interest. Herein, exceedingly water- and thermally stable 2D-cobalt-impregnated hydrazone-linked fibrous COFs are reported as a catalyst for CO2/epoxide coupling reactions at ambient pressure. The functionalized cobalt (Co)-doped COFs demonstrated excellent catalytic activities with the high TONs (80925) and TOFs (6466 h-1), outperforming reported heterogeneous catalysts for CO2/epoxide coupling at ambient pressure. We found that the Co2+ ions within the COF matrix catalyze CO2 cycloaddition through density functional theory calculations. We also confirmed the excellent structural stability and consistent activity of Co-doped COFs up to ten repeating cycles.

Recent Achievements in the Synthesis of Cyclic Carbonates from Olefins and CO2: The Rational Design of the Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalytic System

With the consumption of fossil fuels, the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is growing rapidly, which leads to global warming. Hence, the chemical conversion of CO2 into high value-added products is one of the most important approaches to reducing CO2 emissions. Due to being simple, inexpensive and environmentally friendly, the direct synthesis of cyclic carbonates from olefins and CO2 is a promising project for industrial application. In this review, we discuss the design of the homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic system for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from the reaction of olefins and CO2. Usually, the catalyst contains the epoxidation active site and the cycloaddition active site, which could achieve the oxidation of oleifins and the CO2-insert, respectively. This review will provide a comprehensive overview of the direct synthesis of cyclic carbonates from olefins and CO2 catalyzed by homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. The focus mainly lies on the rational fabrication of multifunctional catalysts, and provides a new perspective for the design of catalysts.