Noble metal free double helix binuclear Cu(I) complex as catalyst for carboxylative cyclization of propargylamines with atmospheric carbon dioxide toward oxazolidinones synthesis under mild conditions

The application of economically abundant, renewable and C1-feedstock, carbon dioxide into organically important compounds is considered as the hot topic in modern aspects. In this prospective, a binuclear double helix copper (I) complex (1) was synthesized through insitu reaction between quinolone-2-carbaldehyde and succino-hydrazide with copper (II) nitrate hexahydrate. Single crystal X-ray analysis of complex 1, clearly explained that both tetra co-ordinated Cu(I) ions are in tetrahedral geometric environment, having suprmolecular network arrangement via weak interaction of H-bonding, π…π stacking and CH…π stacking. The complex 1 was found to be effectively active catalyst in carboxylative cyclization reaction of propargylic amines with carbon dioxide towards oxazolidinones synthesis under atmospheric pressure and mild reaction conditions. Due to the initiation of side reaction by –NH2 group of primary propargyliamines, which reduces the yield percentage of respective oxazolidinones as a result the carboxylative cyclization reaction of primary propargylic amines, was rarely developed. In this work both primary and secondary propargylamines smoothly undergoes through this catalytic reaction and produced high percentage of desired oxazolidinones product. Again neat condition for this catalytic reaction makes the methodology more environmentally benign and sustainable. The complex 1 showed luminescent property. Moreover DFT methods were utilized in order to explain the probable mechanistic pathway of carboxylative cyclization reaction.