A new catalyst for the solvent-free conversion of CO2 and epoxides into cyclic carbonate under mild conditions

•A new Cu6 cluster with high density of active Lewis acid sites was synthesized.•The cluster acts a good catalyst for the fixation of CO2 into cyclic carbonates.•The preparation of the cluster is very simple and rapid with low cost.

A new Cu6 cluster [Cu6(μ4-O)2(SO4)4(DMA)6] (1) with high density of active Lewis acid sites turns out to be a good catalyst for the chemical fixation of CO2 into value-added cyclic carbonates without the use of any organic solvents under room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Above all, the preparation of 1 is very simple and rapid with low cost, which has important implications for industrial applications.

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