Novel MCM-41 Supported Dicationic Imidazolium Ionic Liquids Catalyzed Greener and Efficient Regioselective Synthesis of 2-Oxazolidinones from Aziridines and Carbon Dioxide

A type of MCM-41 supported dicationic imidazolium ionic liquid nanocatalyst has been synthesized and found to be competent for the synthesis of 2-oxazolidinones through the sustainable chemical conversion of CO₂ with aziridines. It was shown that the highest efficiency was achieved in the cycloaddition of a series of aziridines and CO₂ in the presence of a catalytic amount of the solid catalyst MCM-41@ILLaCl₄ under mild conditions. Merits of this meticulously designed protocol are the use of a novel supported ionic liquid catalyst, the easy work-up process, good to excellent yields, a short reaction time, and purification without column chromatography. Overall, the present protocol of synthesizing 2-oxazolidinones under cocatalyst- and solvent-free conditions using MCM-41@ILLaCl₄ is promising for industrial applications.