Homogeneous and heterogeneous 4-(N,N-dialkylamino)pyridines as effective single component catalysts in the synthesis of propylene carbonate

4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP) is shown to catalyze the reaction of propylene oxide with carbon dioxide in high yields without added co-catalyst. Moreover, propylene carbonate is the only product obtained when the reaction is conducted under rigorously dry conditions. This result contrasts previous findings indicating minimal or no conversion of the epoxide using DMAP alone. Additionally, a new immobilized DMAP analog has been synthesized that shows productivity comparable to the homogeneous catalyst. The supported catalyst is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), N2 physisorption, solid state 13C and 29Si CP-MAS NMR, and FT-Raman spectroscopy. This supported catalyst can be readily recovered without utilization of high temperature distillation.

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