Direct condensation reaction of carbon dioxide with alcohols using trisubstituted phosphine–carbon tetrabromide–base system as a condensing agent

Abstract

This paper describes the preparation of carbonates by the direct condensation of CO₂ with alcohols using a trisubstituted phosphine–carbon tetrabromide–base system as a condensing agent. The yield of dibenzyl carbonate from CO₂ and benzyl alcohol was at most 90.7%. The reaction of CO₂ with the other primary alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, butan-1-ol, hexan-1-ol, allyl alcohol, and ethylene glycol also gave corresponding carbonates in relatively high yields, whereas yields of carbonates from CO₂ and secondary alcohols were low.