Highly active dinuclear cobalt complexes for solvent-free cycloaddition of CO2 to epoxides at ambient pressure

Abstract

Dinuclear Co-based catalysts are used for the coupling reaction of epoxides and CO₂ in the presence of a cocatalyst. The easily recyclable catalysts efficiently complete the coupling of CO₂ with various epoxides into industrially important cyclic carbonates at low catalyst loading and displayed high catalytic activity under relatively low CO₂ pressure and solvent-free conditions. The maximum TON (168 600) and TOF (3333 h⁻¹) obtained in this work are the highest among the reported Co-complexes.