Synthesis of Cyclohexene Carbonate Catalyzed by Polymer-Supported Catalysts

A series of polystyrene-divinylbenzene cross-linked resin (PS)–supported zinc chloride catalysts were prepared in this study. They can efficiently catalyze the solventless cycloaddition of cyclohexene oxide with carbon dioxide in the presence of tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as cocatalyst under relatively mild reaction conditions. The catalyst is composed of carrier, connecting arm, ligand, and active ingredient. The connecting arms of different lengths can significantly affect the catalytic activity. Among these catalysts, the one using diethylene glycol as connecting arm and 2-aminopyridine as ligand, named PS-DEG-2ap-ZnCl₂, showed the optimal catalytic performance. The yield of cyclohexene carbonate was 95.18% calculated by gas chromatographic analysis under the optimal conditions (393 K, 5 MPa, 6 h). Moreover, the catalyst showed good stability and reusability. From the viewpoint of industrial application, the catalyst is attractive because of its excellent catalytic efficiency on the synthesis of cyclohexene carbonate.