Bifunctional poly(ionic liquid) catalyst with dual-active-center for CO2 conversion: Synergistic effect of triazine and imidazolium motifs

Diamide-linked imidazolyl Poly(dicationic ionic liquid)s for the conversion of CO2 to cyclic carbonates under ambient pressure

The ionic active centers and hydrogen-bond donors (HBDs) in heterogeneous catalytic materials are highly beneficial for enhancing the interaction between solid-liquid-gas three-phase interfaces and promoting effective fixation of carbon dioxide (CO2). Diamide-linked imidazolyl poly(dicationic ionic liquid)s catalysts PIMDILs (PMAIL-x and PBAIL-2) were synthesized through the copolymerization of diamide-linked imidazolyl dicationic ionic liquids (IMDILs) with divinylbenzene (DVB), which successfully enable the simultaneous construction of high-density and uniformly distributed ionic active centers (2.014-4.883 mmol g-1) and hydrogen-bond donors (HBDs). The as-synthesized PIMDILs present excellent catalytic activity in promoting the cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxides. PMAIL-2 could convert epichlorohydrin (ECH) with a quantitative conversion of 99.8 % (selectivity > 99 %) under ambient pressure. Furthermore, only a decrease in activity of 5 % was observed even after six cycles of recycling. The excellent conversions (>97.3 %) were achieved for various terminal substituted epoxides. The experimental and characterization results reveal that the high-density ionic active centers and amide HBDs can effectively activate the reaction substrates, their synergistic effect plays a crucial role at the catalyst interface. This work is expected to provide some useful insights for the rational construction of heterogeneous catalysts for CO2 conversion.

Poly(ionic liquid)s for Photo-Driven CO2 Cycloaddition: Electron Donor-Acceptor Segments Matter

CO₂ cycloaddition with epoxides is a key catalytic procedure for CO₂ utilization. Several metal-based catalysts with cocatalysts are developed for photo-driven CO₂ cycloaddition, while facing difficulties in product purification and continuous reaction. Here, poly(ionic liquid)s are proposed as metal-free catalysts for photo-driven CO₂ cycloaddition without cocatalysts. A series of poly(ionic liquid)s with donor-acceptor segments are fabricated and their photo-driven catalytic performance (conversion rate of 83.5% for glycidyl phenyl ether) outstrips (≈4.9 times) their thermal-driven catalytic performance (17.2%) at the same temperature. Mechanism studies confirm that photo-induced charge separation is promoted by the donor-acceptor segments and can accelerate the CO₂ cycloaddition reaction. This work paves the way for the further use of poly(ionic liquid)s as catalysts in photo-driven CO₂ cycloaddition.

Self-assembled mononuclear complexes: open metal sites and inverse dimension-dependent catalytic activity for the Knoevenagel condensation and CO2 cycloaddition

To lessen the greenhouse effect, measures such as improving the recovery of crude oil and converting carbon dioxide (CO₂) into valuable chemicals are necessary to create a sustainable low-carbon future. To this end, the development of efficient new oil-displacing agents and CO₂ conversion has aroused great interest in both academia and industry. The Knoevenagel condensation and CO₂ cycloaddition are the key reactions to solve the above problems. Four Cu- or Zn-based molecular complexes built from different ligands possessing hydrophilic-hydrophobic layers and different dimensionalities were chosen as solid catalysts for this study. Structural analysis revealed the presence of hydrophilic-hydrophobic layers and open metal sites in the low-dimensional complexes. To obtain deep insight into the reaction mechanism, first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out. These calculations confirmed that in the Knoevenagel condensation reaction, the final formation of benzylidenemalononitrile is the rate-determining step (an energy barrier (ΔE) value of 73.2 kJ mol^-1). The zero-dimensional (0D) Cu molecular complex with unsaturated metal centers, hydrophilic and hydrophobic layers, exhibited higher catalytic activity (yield: 100%, temperature: room temperature, and time: 2 h) compared with one- and two-dimensional Cu complexes. In the presence of a 0D Zn complex co-catalyzed with Br^- in the CO₂ cycloaddition reaction, the ΔE value reduces to 35.5 kJ mol^-1 for the ring opening of styrene oxide (SO), which is significantly lower than Br^- catalyzed (80.9 kJ mol^-1) reactions. The roles of unsaturated metal centers, hydrophilic-hydrophobic layers and dimensionality in the Knoevenagel condensation and CO₂ cycloaddition were explained in the results of structure-activity relationships.

Nitrogen-Rich Porous Organic Polymers with Supported Ag Nanoparticles for Efficient CO2 Conversion

As CO₂ emissions increase and the global climate deteriorates, converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals has become a topic of wide concern. The development of multifunctional catalysts for efficient CO₂ conversion remains a major challenge. Herein, two porous organic polymers (NPOPs) functionalized with covalent triazine and triazole N-heterocycles are synthesized through the copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction. The NPOPs have an abundant microporous content and high specific surface area, which confer them excellent CO₂ affinities with a CO₂ adsorption capacity of 84.0 mg g^-1 and 63.7 mg g^-1, respectively, at 273 K and 0.1 MPa. After wet impregnation and in situ reductions, Ag nanoparticles were supported in the NPOPs to obtain Ag@NPOPs with high dispersion and small particle size. The Ag@NPOPs were applied to high-value conversion reactions of CO₂ with propargylic amines and terminal alkynes under mild reaction conditions. The carboxylative cyclization transformation of propargylic amine into 2-oxazolidinone and the carboxylation transformation of terminal alkynes into phenylpropiolic acid had the highest TOF values of 1125.1 and 90.9 h^-1, respectively. The Ag@NPOP-1 was recycled and used five times without any significant decrease in catalytic activity, showing excellent catalytic stability and durability.

Novel porous organic polymers functionalized by metalloporphyrin and phosphonium salts for the efficient synergistic catalysis of CO2 conversion under mild conditions

Metalloporphyrin- and phosphonium-functionalized porous organic polymers (POPs) were fabricated successfully via a post-synthesis modification strategy, which were demonstrated to be efficient heterogeneous catalysts for CO2 conversion.