Zinc(ii)-catalyzed reactions of carbon dioxide and propargylic alcohols to carbonates at room temperature

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is an abundant and renewable feedstock for the production of value-added chemicals. Herein, we carried out the first work to use ZnI₂/NEt₃ as the catalyst for the reactions of CO₂ and propargylic alcohols to form α-alkylidene cyclic carbonates. It was discovered that the catalyst system could efficiently promote the reaction at room temperature under solvent-free conditions, and the yields of the target products could reach 99%. The zinc(II) and NEt₃ play excellent synergistic roles in activating both CO₂ and propargylic alcohols.