Synthesis of cyclic carbonate from epoxide and CO2 catalyzed by magnetic nanoparticle-supported porphyrin

A magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-supported biomimetic cobalt porphyrin as cytochrome P-450 model was designed, prepared and evaluated as an efficient catalyst for coupling reaction of epoxide and CO2 under 1.0 MPa CO2 pressure at ambient temperature to generate relevant cyclic carbonate with excellent selectivity in high yield. The supported porphyrin catalyst could be simply recycled with the assistance of an external magnet and reused for 16 times without significant loss of activity and mass.

Graphical abstractFe3O4 nanoparticle-supported biomimetic porphyrin catalyst was prepared and applied as efficient catalyst in the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to various epoxides to generate the corresponding cyclic carbonate under mild reaction condition. It can be simply recycled using an external magnet and reused for 16 times without significant loss of activity.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideResearch Highlights► This is the first example of metalloporphyrin supported by (Fe3O4) nanoparticles. ► It is easy to separate via an external magnet without any loss of quantity. ► The reaction was carried out under extremely mild conditions.