Direct Assembly of 2‐Oxazolidinones by Chemical Fixation of Carbon Dioxide

The reaction of β‐ and γ‐haloamines with carbon dioxide to give pharmaceutically relevant 2‐oxazolidinones and 1,3‐dioxazin‐2‐ones, was found to proceed efficiently in the presence of a base and in the absence of catalyst. After optimization of reaction conditions, the system was successfully expanded to a variety of haloamines, even at multigram scale. The reaction was further studied in silico by DFT calculations.     

Transformation of Atmospheric CO2 Catalyzed by Protic Ionic Liquids: Efficient Synthesis of 2‐Oxazolidinones

Protic ionic liquids (PILs), such as 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]‐7‐undecenium 2‐methylimidazolide [DBUH][MIm], can catalyze the reaction of atmospheric CO₂ with a broad range of propargylic amines to form the corresponding 2‐oxazolidinones. The products are formed in high yields under mild, metal‐free conditions. The cheaper and greener PILs can be easily recycled and reused at least five times without a decrease in the catalytic activity and selectivity. A reaction mechanism was proposed on the basis of a detailed DFT study which indicates that both the cation and anion of the PIL play key synergistic roles in accelerating the reaction.     

Mechanism of the Cycloaddition of Carbon Dioxide and Epoxides Catalyzed by Cobalt‐Substituted 12‐Tungstenphosphate

Co^II‐substituted α‐Keggin‐type 12‐tungstenphosphate [(n‐ C₄H₉)₄N]₄H[PW₁₁Co(H₂O)O₃₉]‐ (PW₁₁Co) is synthesized and used as a single‐component, solvent‐free catalyst in the cycloaddition reaction of CO₂ and epoxides to form cyclic carbonates. The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction is investigated using DFT calculations, which provides the first computational study of the catalytic cycle of polyoxometalate‐catalyzed CO₂ coupling reactions. The reaction occurs through a single‐electron transfer from the doublet Co^II catalyst to the epoxide and forms a doublet Co^III–carbon radical intermediate. Subsequent CO₂ addition forms the cyclic carbonate product. The existence of radical intermediates is supported by free‐radical termination experiments. Finally, it is exhilarating to observe that the calculated overall reaction barrier (30.5 kcal mol^?1) is in good agreement with the real reaction rate (83 h^?1) determined in the present experiments (at 150 °C).     

Upgrading CO2 by Incorporation into Urethanes through Silver‐Catalyzed One‐Pot Stepwise Amidation Reaction

One‐pot two‐step stepwise reaction of terminal propargylic alcohols, carbon dioxide, and primary/secondary amines for the effective synthesis of various urethanes through robust silver‐catalysed C‐O/C‐N bond formation is reported. Catalytic activities were investigated by controlling catalyst loading, reaction pressure and time, and very high turnover number (turnover frequency) was obtained: 3350 (35 h⁻¹) with 0.01 mol% silver catalyst under 0.1 MPa, and up to 13360 (139 h⁻¹) with 0.005 mol% silver catalyst under 2.0 MPa at room temperature. The strategy was ingeniously regulated, and synchronously afforded a wide range of β‐oxopropylcarbamate and 1,3‐oxazolidin‐2‐one motifs in excellent yields and selectivity together with unprecedented high turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) value.     

Experimental and Computational Insights into Carbon Dioxide Fixation by RZnOH Species

Organozinc hydroxides, RZnOH, possessing the proton‐reactive alkylzinc group and the CO₂‐reactive Zn?OH group, represent an intriguing group of organometallic precursors for the synthesis of novel zinc carbonates. Comprehensive experimental and computational investigations on 1) solution and solid‐state behavior of tBuZnOH ( 1 ) species in the presence of Lewis bases, namely, THF and 4‐methylpyridine; 2) step‐by‐step sequence of the reaction between 1 and CO₂; and 3) the effect of a donor ligand and/or an excess of tBu₂Zn as an external proton acceptor on the reaction course are reported. DFT calculations for the insertion of carbon dioxide into the dinuclear alkylzinc hydroxide 1 ₂ are fully consistent with ¹H NMR spectroscopy studies and indicate that this process is a multistep reaction, in which the insertion of CO₂ seems to be the rate‐determining step. Moreover, DFT studies show that the mechanism of the rearrangement between key intermediates, that is, the primary alkylzinc bicarbonate with a proximal position of hydrogen and the secondary alkylzinc bicarbonate with a distal position of hydrogen, most likely proceeds through internal rotation of the dinuclear bicarbonate.     

Proline-Catalyzed Synthesis of 5-Aryl-2-oxazolidinones from Carbon Dioxide and Aziridines Under Solvent-Free Conditions

Natural α-amino acids were proven to be ecofriendly and recyclable catalysts for the carboxylation of aziridines with CO₂ without utilization of any organic solvents or additives. Notably, a series of 5-aryl-2-oxazolidinones were obtained in good yield together with excellent chemo- and regioselectivity under mild conditions using proline as the catalyst. Notably, the catalyst could be recycled more than five times after a simple separation procedure without appreciable loss of catalytic activity. This process represents a promising strategy for homogeneous catalyst recycling.     

Highly Efficient One-Pot Synthesis of 2-Arylmethyl N-Substituted Anilines via Yb（OTf）3 Catalyzed Three-Component Reaction

An efficient method has been developed for one-pot three-component coupling reactions of various aldehydes, 1-cyclohexen-2-one, and primary or secondary amines in the presence of a catalytic amount of Yb（OTf）3 under mild conditions to afford the corresponding 2-arylmethyl N-substituted anilines in good yields. In addition, the catalyst was easily recovered and could be reused for at least four cycles without any loss of activity.     

Isocyanate‐ and Phosgene‐Free Routes to Polyfunctional Cyclic Carbonates and Green Polyurethanes by Fixation of Carbon Dioxide

The catalytic chemical fixation of carbon dioxide by carbonation of oxiranes, oxetanes, and polyols represents a very versatile green chemistry route to environmentally benign di‐ and polyfunctional cyclic carbonates as intermediates for the formation of non‐isocyanate poly­urethane (NIPU). Two synthetic pathways lead to NIPU thermoplastics and thermosets: i) polycondensation of diacarbamates or acyclic dicarbonates with diols or diamines, respectively, and ii) polyaddition by ring‐opening polymerization of di‐ and polyfunctional cyclic carbonates with di‐ and polyamines. The absence of hazardous and highly moisture‐sensitive isocyanates as intermediates eliminates the need for special safety precautions, drying and handling procedures. Incorporated into polymer backbones and side chains, carbonate groups enable facile tailoring of a great variety of urethane‐functional polymers. As compared with conventional polyurethanes, ring‐opening polymerization of polyfunctional cyclic carbonates affords polyhydroxyurethanes with unconventional architectures including NIPUs containing carbohydrate segments. NIPU/epoxy hybrid coatings can be applied on wet surfaces and exhibit improved adhesion, thermal stability and wear resistance. Combining chemical with biological carbon dioxide fixation affords 100% bio‐based NIPUs derived from plant oils, terpenes, carbohydrates, and bio polyols. Biocompatible and biodegradable NIPU as well as NIPU biocomposites hold great promise for biomedical applications.

     

Carbon Dioxide Capture and Release by Anions with Solvent‐Dependent Behaviour: A Theoretical Study

Recently, Clyburne and co‐workers [Science, 2014 , 344, 75–78] reported the novel synthesis of the elusive cyanoformate anion, NCCO₂^?. The stability of this anion is dependent on the dielectric constant of the local environment (polarity‐switchable solvent): it is stable in low‐polarity media and unstable in high‐polarity solvents; hence, capturing and then releasing CO₂. The possibility of extending such behaviour to other anions is explored herein. Specifically, the CO₂ capture process is studied for 26 anions in the gas phase and 3 distinct solvents (water, tetrahydrofuran, and toluene) by using the polarisable continuum model. Calculations are performed with the M06‐2X and B3LYP‐D3 density functionals and the aug‐cc‐pVTZ basis set. The design of new CO₂ complexes with the anion, which can be formed or destroyed on demand by changing the solvent, is possible; the results for the alkoxylate and thiolate anions are especially promising. The nature of the substituents connected to the atom that bonds to CO₂ in the anion is crucial in modulating the relative stability of the products—a key point for reversibility in the CO₂ capture process. A moderate interaction for the anion–CO₂ adduct—about 10 kcal mol^?1 relative free energy with respect to the isolated reactants in the gas phase—and a relevant effect in the dielectric constant of the local environment are also key ingredients to achieve solvent dependency.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Multi‐Component Reactions of N‐Tosylhydrazones, 2‐Iodoanilines and CO2 towards 4‐Aryl‐2‐Quinolinones

A palladium‐catalyzed three‐component reaction between N‐tosylhydrazones, 2‐iodoanilines and atmospheric pressure CO₂ was developed whereby a tandem carbene migration insertion/lactamization strategy afforded 4‐aryl‐2‐quinolinones in moderate to good yields. Notably, a wide range of functional groups were tolerated in this procedure. This protocol features the simultaneous formation of four novel bonds; two C?C, one C=C and one C?N (amide), representing an efficient methodology for incorporation of CO₂ into heterocycles.     

Mechanistic Insights into the Substrate‐Controlled Stereochemistry of Glycals in One‐Pot Rhodium‐Catalyzed Aziridination and Aziridine Ring Opening

We carried out a principle study on the reaction mechanism of rhodium‐catalyzed intramolecular aziridination and aziridine ring opening at a sugar template. A sulfamate ester group was introduced at different positions of glycal to act as a nitrene source and, moreover, to allow the study of the relative reactivity of the nitrene transfer from different sites of the glycal molecule. The structural optimization of each intermediate along the reaction pathway was extensively done by using BPW91 functional. The crucial step in the reaction is the Rh‐catalyzed nitrene transfer to the double bond of the glycal. We found that the reaction could proceed in a stepwise manner, whereby the N atom initially induced a single‐bond formation with C1 on the triplet surface or in a single step through intersystem crossing (ISC) of the triplet excited state of the rhodium–nitrene transition state to the singlet ground state of the aziridine complexes. The relative reactivity for the conversion of the nitrene species to the aziridine obtained from the computed potential energy surface (PES) agrees well with the reaction time gained from experimental observation. The aziridine ring opening is a spontaneous process because the energy barrier for the formation of the transition state is very small and disappears in the solution calculations. The regio‐ and stereoselectivity of the reaction product is controlled by the electronic property of the anomeric carbon as well as the facial preference for the nitrene insertion, and the nucleophilic addition.     

Synthesis of Optically Enriched Spirocyclic Benzofuran‐2‐ones by Bifunctional Thiourea‐Base Catalyzed Double‐Michael Addition of Benzofuran‐2‐ones to Dienones

A highly enantioselective catalytic double‐Michael addition reaction of substituted benzofuran‐2‐ones with divinyl ketones promoted by readily accessible tertiary amine–thiourea Cinchona alkaloids has been developed. A number of optically enriched spirocyclic benzofuran‐2‐ones were prepared in very good yields (up to 99 %), diastereoselectivities (up to 19:1 d.r.), and very good enantioselectivities (up to 92 % ee). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to investigate the origin of stereoselectivity.     

超临界二氧化碳中马来酸锌催化合成环状碳酸酯

在超临界二氧化碳中, 利用马来酸锌催化二氧化碳与环氧化物反应合成环状碳酸酯. 单独使用马来酸锌作为催化剂时, 对二氧化碳与环氧丙烷反应的催化活性较低, 而在DBU、DMAP、三乙胺、吡啶、咪唑或4-氨基吡啶等有机碱的存在下, 反应活性较高, 产物的收率得到明显提高. 有机碱作用的强弱顺序为DBU>Et3N>咪唑>4-氨基吡啶>DMAP>吡啶. 在压力为8 MPa, 温度110 ℃, 反应时间48 h条件下, 马来酸锌与DBU组成的二元催化系统可以催化二氧化碳与环氧丙烷反应, 得到83.4%产率的碳酸丙烯酯. 该二元系统也能催化其它环氧化物高产率地转化为相应的环状碳酸酯.     

Effect of Sodium Cation on Metallacycle β‐Hydride Elimination in CO2–Ethylene Coupling to Acrylates

The catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide and olefins into acrylates has been a long standing target, because society attempts to synthesize commodity chemicals in a more economical and sustainable fashion. Although nickel complexes have been known to successfully couple CO₂ and ethylene for decades, a key β‐hydride elimination step has proven a major obstacle to the development of a catalytic process. Recent studies have shown that Lewis acid additives can be used to create a lower‐energy pathway for β‐hydride elimination and facilitate a low number of catalytic turnovers. However, the exact manner, in which the Lewis acid promotes β‐hydride elimination remains to be elucidated. Herein, we describe the kinetic and thermodynamic role that commercially relevant and weakly Lewis acidic sodium salts play in promoting β‐hydride elimination from nickelalactones synthesized from CO₂ and ethylene. This process is compared to a non‐Lewis acid promoted pathway, and DFT calculations were used to identify differences between the two systems. The sodium‐free isomerization reaction gave a rare CO₂‐derived β‐nickelalactone complex, which was structurally characterized.     

One‐Pot C−H Functionalization of Arenes by Diaryliodonium Salts

A transition‐metal‐free, mild, and highly regioselective synthesis of nitroarenes from arenes has been developed. The products are obtained in a sequential one‐pot reaction by nitration of iodine(III) reagents with two carbon ligands, which are formed in situ from iodine(I). This novel concept has been extended to formation of aryl azides, and constitutes an important step towards catalytic reactions with these hypervalent iodine reagents. An efficient nitration of isolated diaryliodonium salts has also been developed, and the mechanism is proposed to proceed by a [2,2] ligand coupling pathway.     

CO2 Conversion into Esters by Fluoride‐Mediated Carboxylation of Organosilanes and Halide Derivatives

A one‐step conversion of CO₂ into heteroaromatic esters is presented under metal‐free conditions. Using fluoride anions as promoters for the C?Si bond activation, pyridyl, furanyl, and thienyl organosilanes are successfully carboxylated with CO₂ in the presence of an electrophile. The mechanism of this unprecedented reaction has been elucidated based on experimental and computational results, which show a unique catalytic influence of CO₂ in the C?Si bond activation of pyridylsilanes. The methodology is applied to 18 different esters, and it has enabled the incorporation of CO₂ into a polyester material for the first time.     

Steric and Electronic Effects of Bidentate Phosphine Ligands on Ruthenium(II)‐Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide

The reactivity difference between the hydrogenation of CO₂ catalyzed by various ruthenium bidentate phosphine complexes was explored by DFT. In addition to the ligand dmpe (Me₂PCH₂CH₂PMe₂), which was studied experimentally previously, a more bulky diphosphine ligand, dmpp (Me₂PCH₂CH₂CH₂PMe₂), together with a more electron‐withdrawing diphosphine ligand, PN^MeP (Me₂PCH₂N^MeCH₂PMe₂), have been studied theoretically to analyze the steric and electronic effects on these catalyzed reactions. Results show that all of the most favorable pathways for the hydrogenation of CO₂ catalyzed by bidentate phosphine ruthenium dihydride complexes undergo three major steps: cis–trans isomerization of ruthenium dihydride complex, CO₂ insertion into the Ru?H bond, and H₂ insertion into the ruthenium formate ion. Of these steps, CO₂ insertion into the Ru?H bond has the lowest barrier compared with the other two steps in each preferred pathway. For the hydrogenation of CO₂ catalyzed by ruthenium complexes of dmpe and dmpp, cis–trans isomerization of ruthenium dihydride complex has a similar barrier to that of H₂ insertion into the ruthenium formate ion. However, in the reaction catalyzed by the PN^MePRu complex, cis–trans isomerization of the ruthenium dihydride complex has a lower barrier than H₂ insertion into the ruthenium formate ion. These results suggest that the steric effect caused by the change of the outer sphere of the diphosphine ligand on the reaction is not clear, although the electronic effect is significant to cis–trans isomerization and H₂ insertion. This finding refreshes understanding of the mechanism and provides necessary insights for ligand design in transition‐metal‐catalyzed CO₂ transformation.