Propylencarbonat als Lösungsmittel für asymmetrische Hydrierungen

Triazine-based Organic Polymer-catalysed Conversion of Epoxide to Cyclic Carbonate under Ambient CO2 Pressure

In this work we have achieved epoxide to cyclic carbonate conversion using a metal-free polymeric catalyst under ambient CO₂ pressure (1.02 atm) using a balloon setup. The triazine containing polymer (CYA-ANIS) was prepared from cyanuric chloride (CYA-Cl) and o-dianisidine (ANIS) in anhydrous DMF as solvent by refluxing under the N₂ gas environment. The presence of triazine and amine functional groups in the polymer results in the adsorption of CO₂ up to 7 cc/g at 273 K. This inspired us to utilize the polymer for the conversion of a series of functionalised epoxides into their corresponding cyclic carbonates in the presence of tetrabutyl ammonium iodide (TBAI) as co-catalyst. The product has wide range of applications like solvent in lithium ion battery, precursor for polycarbonate, etc. The catalyst was efficient for the conversion of different mono and di-epoxides into their corresponding cyclic carbonates under atmospheric pressure in the presence of TBAI as co-catalyst. The study indicates that epoxide attached with electron withdrawing groups (like, CH₂ Cl, glycidyl ether, etc.) displayed better conversion compared to simple alkane chain attached epoxides. This is mainly due to the stabilization of electron rich intermediates produced during the reaction (e. g. epoxide ring opening or CO₂ incorporation into the halo-alkoxide anion). This catalyst mixture was capable to maintain its reactivity up to five cycles without losing its activity. Post catalytic characterization clearly supports the heterogeneous and recyclable nature of the catalyst.

Sustainable Heterogeneous Catalysts for CO2 Utilization by Using Dual Ligand ZnII /CdII Metal-Organic Frameworks

Two-dimensional Zn^II /Cd^II -based dual ligand metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) {[M(CHDC)(L)]⋅H₂ O}_n involving 4-pyridyl carboxaldehyde isonicotinoylhydrazone (L) in combination with flexible 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (H₂ CHDC) as linkers have been synthesized by adaptable synthetic protocols including a green mechanochemical (grinding) method. Characterization, chemical/thermal stability, phase purity, and solid-state luminescent properties of both MOFs have been established by various analytical methods. Structural analysis revealed dimeric metal clusters composed of [M₂ (CHDC)₂ ]_n loops doubly pillared with L, generating a 2D framework. Both MOFs can be used as highly active solvent-free binary catalysts for CO₂ cycloaddition with epoxides in the presence of the co-catalyst tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) with good catalytic conversion in up to six catalytic cycles without significant loss of activity. The present investigation demonstrates the application of MOFs as efficient heterogeneous catalysts for CO₂ utilization under moderate reaction conditions. Based on the single-crystal X-ray data, a probable mechanism for the cycloaddition reaction has also been proposed.

Synthesis of rare-earth metal and rare-earth metal-fluoride nanoparticles in ionic liquids and propylene carbonate

Decomposition of rare-earth tris(N,N'-diisopropyl-2-methylamidinato)metal(III) complexes [RE{MeC(N(iPr)2)}3] (RE(amd)3; RE = Pr(III), Gd(III), Er(III)) and tris(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)europium(III) (Eu(dpm)3) induced by microwave heating in the ionic liquids (ILs) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF4]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([BMIm][NTf2]) and in propylene carbonate (PC) yield oxide-free rare-earth metal nanoparticles (RE-NPs) in [BMIm][NTf2] and PC for RE = Pr, Gd and Er or rare-earth metal-fluoride nanoparticles (REF3-NPs) in the fluoride-donating IL [BMIm][BF4] for RE = Pr, Eu, Gd and Er. The crystalline phases and the absence of significant oxide impurities in RE-NPs and REF3-NPs were verified by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The size distributions of the nanoparticles were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) to an average diameter of (11 ± 6) to (38 ± 17) nm for the REF3-NPs from [BMIm][BF4]. The RE-NPs from [BMIm][NTf2] or PC showed diameters of (1.5 ± 0.5) to (5 ± 1) nm. The characterization was completed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX).

An Uncommon Carboxyl-Decorated Metal-Organic Framework with Selective Gas Adsorption and Catalytic Conversion of CO2

A new three-dimensional (3D) framework, [Ni(btzip)(H₂ btzip)]⋅2 DMF⋅2 H₂ O (1) (H₂ btzip=4,6-bis(triazol-1-yl)isophthalic acid) as an acidic heterogeneous catalyst was constructed by the reaction of nickel wire and a triazolyl-carboxyl linker. Framework 1 possesses intersected 2D channels decorated by free COOH groups and uncoordinated triazolyl N atoms, leading to not only high CO₂ and C₂ H₆ adsorption capacity but also significant selective capture for CO₂ and C₂ H₆ over CH₄ and CO in 273-333 K. Moreover, 1 reveals chemical stability toward water. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations confirmed the multiple CO₂ - and C₂ H₆ -philic sites. As a result of the presence of accessible Brønsted acidic COOH groups in the channels, the activated framework demonstrates highly efficient catalytic activity in the cycloaddition reaction of CO₂ with propylene oxide/4-chloromethyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-one/3-butoxy-1,2-epoxypropane into cyclic carbonates.

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles and Metal Fluoride Nanoparticles from Metal Amidinate Precursors in 1-Butyl-3-Methylimidazolium Ionic Liquids and Propylene Carbonate

Decomposition of transition-metal amidinates [M{MeC(NiPr)2} n ] [M(AMD) n ; M=MnII, FeII, CoII, NiII, n=2; CuI, n=1) induced by microwave heating in the ionic liquids (ILs) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF4]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIm][PF6]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (triflate) ([BMIm][TfO]), and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tosylate ([BMIm][Tos]) or in propylene carbonate (PC) gives transition-metal nanoparticles (M-NPs) in non-fluorous media (e.g. [BMIm][Tos] and PC) or metal fluoride nanoparticles (MF2-NPs) for M=Mn, Fe, and Co in [BMIm][BF4]. FeF2-NPs can be prepared upon Fe(AMD)2 decomposition in [BMIm][BF4], [BMIm][PF6], and [BMIm][TfO]. The nanoparticles are stable in the absence of capping ligands (surfactants) for more than 6 weeks. The crystalline phases of the metal or metal fluoride synthesized in [BMIm][BF4] were identified by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) to exclusively Ni- and Cu-NPs or to solely MF2-NPs for M=Mn, Fe, and Co. The size and size dispersion of the nanoparticles were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to an average diameter of 2(±2) to 14(±4) nm for the M-NPs, except for the Cu-NPs in PC, which were 51(±8) nm. The MF2-NPs from [BMIm][BF4] were 15(±4) to 65(±18) nm. The average diameter from TEM is in fair agreement with the size evaluated from PXRD with the Scherrer equation. The characterization was complemented by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Electrochemical investigations of the CoF2-NPs as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries were simply evaluated by galvanostatic charge/discharge profiles, and the results indicated that the reversible capacity of the CoF2-NPs was much lower than the theoretical value, which may have originated from the complex conversion reaction mechanism and residue on the surface of the nanoparticles.

Hydroxyl-Exchanged Nanoporous Ionic Copolymer toward Low-Temperature Cycloaddition of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide into Carbonates

An ionic copolymer catalyst with nanopores, large surface area, high ionic density, and superior basicity was prepared via the radical copolymerization of amino-functionalized ionic liquid bromide and divinylbenzene, followed with a hydroxyl exchange for removing bromonium. Evaluated in chemical fixation of CO2 with epoxides into cyclic carbonates in the absence of any solvent and basic additive, the nanoporous copolymer catalyst showed high and stable activity, superior to various control catalysts including the halogen-containing analogue. Further, high yields were obtained over a wide scope of substrates including aliphatic long carbon-chain alkyl epoxides and internal epoxide, even under atmospheric pressure and less than 100 °C for the majority of the substrates. On the basis of in situ Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) investigation and density functional theory (DFT) calculation for the reaction intermediates, we proposed a possible reaction mechanism accounting for the superior catalytic activity of the ionic copolymer. The specifically prepared ionic copolymer material of this work features highly stable, noncorrosive, and sustainable catalysis and, thus, may be a new possibility for efficient chemical fixation of CO2 since it is an environmentally friendly, metal-free solid catalyst.

Highly Efficient Polymer-Supported Catalytic System for the Valorization of Carbon Dioxide

Polydibenzo-18-crown-6 was utilized as a co-catalyst and polymeric support in combination with potassium iodide for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from carbon dioxide and epoxides under mild and solvent-free conditions. The efficiency of this catalytic system can be easily increased by loading the polymer with KI prior to the reaction. The influence of various reaction parameters were studied thoroughly. The scope and limitation of the catalyst system was studied at 80 °C and 100 °C. A large number of terminal epoxides (14) were converted to the desired cyclic carbonates in yields up to 99%. We could successfully recover and reuse the catalyst >20 times with excellent yields up to 99%. Although, we observed that the activity gradually decreased after repetitive cycles. This decrease was attributed to KI leaching and partial degradation caused by mechanical stirring. This assumption is supported by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

Synthesis of Cyclic Carbonates from Epoxides and Carbon Dioxide by Using Bifunctional One-Component Phosphorus-Based Organocatalysts

Numerous bifunctional organocatalysts were synthesized and tested for the atom-efficient addition of carbon dioxide and epoxides to produce cyclic carbonates. These catalysts are based on phosphonium salts containing an alcohol moiety in the side chain for substrate activation through hydrogen bonding. In the model reaction, converting 1,2-butylene oxide with CO2 , 19 catalysts were tested to determine structure-activity relationships. In total, 28 epoxides were converted with CO2 to give the respective cyclic carbonates in yields of up to 99%. Even at 45 °C, the most active catalyst was able to produce cyclic carbonates selectively in high yields. The carbonates were generally obtained as analytically pure products after simple filtration over silica gel. This single-component catalyst system works under neat and mild reaction conditions and tolerates several useful moieties.

Eco-friendly solvents for palladium-catalyzed desulfitative C-H bond arylation of heteroarenes

Herein, we report the Pd-catalyzed regioselective direct arylation of heteroarenes in which benzenesulfonyl chlorides are used as coupling partners through a desulfitative cross-coupling that can be performed in diethyl carbonate (DEC) or cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME) as green and renewable solvents or even in neat conditions instead of dioxane or dimethylacetamide (DMA). Under these solvent conditions, the reaction proceeds with a wide range of heteroarenes. C2- or C5-arylated products were obtained with furan and pyrrole derivatives. Benzofuran was also arylated regioselectively at the C2-position, whereas the reaction proceeds selectively at the C3- or C4-positions if thiophenes and benzothiophenes are used. Moreover, in some cases, especially with 1-methylindole, solvent-free conditions afforded better regioselectivities and/or yields than the reaction performed in the presence of solvents.

Phosphorus-based bifunctional organocatalysts for the addition of carbon dioxide and epoxides

Bifunctional phosphonium salts were synthesized and employed as organocatalysts for the atom efficient synthesis of cyclic carbonates from CO2 and epoxides for the first time. These catalysts were obtained in high yields by a modular, straightforward one-step synthesis. The hydrogen-bond donating alcohol function in the side chain leads to a synergistic effect accelerating the catalytic reaction. The desired cyclic carbonates are obtained in high yields and selectivity under solvent-free reaction conditions without the use of any co-catalyst. Under optimized reaction conditions various epoxides were converted to the corresponding cyclic carbonates in excellent yields. The products were obtained analytically pure after simple filtration over a silica gel pad. This protocol is even applicable for a multigram reaction scale. Moreover, the catalysts could be easily recovered and reused up to five times.

Cyclic carbonate synthesis catalysed by bimetallic aluminium-salen complexes

The development of bimetallic aluminium-salen complexes [{Al(salen)}(2)O] as catalysts for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates (including the commercially important ethylene and propylene carbonates) from a wide range of terminal epoxides in the presence of tetrabutylammonium bromide as a cocatalyst is reported. The bimetallic structure of one complex was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The bimetallic complexes displayed exceptionally high catalytic activity and in the presence of tetrabutylammonium bromide could catalyse cyclic carbonate synthesis at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. Catalyst-reuse experiments demonstrated that one bimetallic complex was stable for over 60 reactions, though the tetrabutylammonium bromide decomposed in situ by a retro-Menschutkin reaction to form tributylamine and had to be regularly replaced. The mild reaction conditions allowed a full analysis of the reaction kinetics to be carried out and this showed that the reaction was first order in aluminium complex concentration, first order in epoxide concentration, first order in carbon dioxide concentration (except when used in excess) and unexpectedly second order in tetrabutylammonium bromide concentration. Further kinetic experiments demonstrated that the tributylamine formed in situ was involved in the catalysis and that addition of butyl bromide to reconvert the tributylamine into tetrabutylammonium bromide resulted in inhibition of the reaction. The reaction kinetics also indicated that no kinetic resolution of racemic epoxides was possible with this class of catalysts, even when the catalyst was derived from a chiral salen ligand. However, it was shown that if enantiomerically pure styrene oxide was used as substrate, then enantiomerically pure styrene carbonate was formed. On the basis of the kinetic and other experimental data, a catalytic cycle that explains why the bimetallic complexes display such high catalytic activity has been developed.

Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of unsaturated lactate precursors in propylene carbonate

The asymmetric hydrogenation of alpha-acetoxy acrylates to O-acetyl lactates with Rh catalysts based on chiral bisphospholane ligands was investigated in propylene carbonate (PC) as "green" solvent. In contrast to DuPHOS-type ligands, catASium M ligands lead to full conversion of the substrate in PC and induce excellent enantioselectivities for ethyl ester and methyl ester substrates (>98 %). Moreover, the undesired opening of the maleic anhydride moiety of the catASium M ligand observed in MeOH can be prevented under these conditions. The chiral product can be easily separated from the carbonate solvent by distillation. In this way, an ecologically benign process for the production of enantiopure lactic acid derivatives was established which offers a highly efficient catalytic transformation in a green solvent under mild conditions (1-10 bar H(2)).

Organic carbonates as alternative solvents for palladium-catalyzed substitution reactions

Organic carbonates, such as propylene carbonate, butylene carbonate, and diethyl carbonate, were tested in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions of rac-1,3-diphenyl-3-acetoxy-prop-1-ene with dimethyl malonate or benzylamine as nucleophiles. Bidentate diphosphanes were used as chiral ligands. The application of monodentate phosphanes capable of self-assembling with the metal was likewise tested. In the substitution reaction with dimethyl malonate, enantioselectivities up to 98% were achieved. In the amination reaction, the chiral product was obtained with up to 83% ee. The results confirm that these "green solvents" can be advantageously used for this catalytic transformation as an alternative to those solvents usually employed which run some risk of being harmful to the environment.