Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Various Carboxylic Acids Or Carbonates Under Mild Conditions

      Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Various Carboxylic Acids or Carbonates under Mild Conditions

 

Yugen Zhang

Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology

31 Biopolis Way, The Nanos, Singapore 138669, Singapore

E-mail: ygzhang@ibn.a-star.edu.sg

 

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a non-toxic, non-combustible, non-flammable gas. The use of carbon dioxide as a renewable and environmentally friendly source of carbon in organic synthesis is a highly attractive approach, but its real world application remains a great challenge. The major obstacles for commercialization of most current protocols are their poor catalytic performance and harsh, severe reaction conditions. It is important to develop new reactions and new protocols for CO₂ transformations at mild conditions and in a cost-efficient manner. This presentation will discuss new approaches for transforming CO₂ to various carboxylic acids on terminal alkynes. Various propiolic acids, substituted acrylic acids and propyl acids have been synthesized with CO₂ in good to excellent yields under very mild conditions. A transition metal-free system for the synthesis five- and six-member ring cyclic carbonate will also be discussed.

 

 

 

 

American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting 2013, Symposium on 'Novel Approaches to CO2 Utilization'.