Design of bifunctional quaternary phosphonium salt catalysts for CO2fixation reaction with epoxides under mild conditions

An efficient synthesis of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and CO2 under mild reaction conditions was achieved via the use of a newly designed bifunctional quaternary phosphonium iodide catalyst. The importance of the bifunctional design of the catalysts was clearly demonstrated in the present work by control experiments. Furthermore, a chiral version of the bifunctional phosphonium salt could be applied to the kinetic resolution of this reaction