Computer-assisted design of metal-free catalysts for highly efficient hydration of epoxides at mild temperatures and atmospheric pressure via multiple hydrogen bonding interactions

Abstract

Through computer-assisted design, a multiple hydrogen bonding catalyst was developed to achieve efficient hydration of epoxides under mild temperatures and atmospheric pressure, eliminating the use of metals. Through the introduction of multiple hydrogen bonds and the prediction of optimal bond strength, guanidine-functionalized and hydroxyl-bridged IL with four hydrogen bonds exhibited the highest activity, leading to an excellent yield of 97% at 50 °C and 1 bar CO₂. A combination of control experiments, isotope labeling experiments and quantum-chemical calculations were carried out to reveal the mechanism, which indicated that the interactions of multiple hydrogen bonds could promote the reaction effectively. We believe this strategy using multiple hydrogen bonding interactions provides a novel idea for developing metal-free catalysts.