Design of Novel Poly(ionic liquids) for the Conversion of CO₂ to Cyclic Carbonates under Mild Conditions without Solvent

Abstract

The production of carbonates from carbon dioxide (CO2) and epoxides is an atom-economical reaction. This study developed a series of poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) by copolymerizing a novel functional ionic liquid (ethyl ether bis(1-vinylimidazolium) chloride) with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). The structures and morphologies of PILs were investigated by adjusting the mole ratio between IL and EGDMA in the PILs. The prepared PILs were investigated as catalysts for the cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxides, and they show improved catalytic efficiency and accelerated mass transfer rate due to their mesoporous structure with a large number of uniformly distributed active ion sites. The PIL was stable, and the activity remained unchanged during the recycling of CO2 cycloaddition to epoxides under mild conditions without any solvent and co-catalyst. This study emphasizes the PIL as a versatile platform to obtain cyclic carbonates from CO2 under mild conditions.