Cycloaddition of CO2 to Epichlorohydrin over Pyridine, Vinylpyridine, and Poly(vinylpyridine): The Influence of Steric Crowding on the Reaction Mechanism

The cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxides is a 100% atom economical reaction that utilizes CO2 and produces valuable cyclic carbonate products. Organic bases are attractive catalysts for this reaction because of their green characteristics, such as low cost and low toxicity. However, further catalyst development is required to achieve acceptable yields at mild temperatures and pressures. This work aims to establish catalyst structure–performance relationships to accelerate the rational design of high performance organic base catalysts for the cycloaddition reaction. Toward this end, we investigate the influence of steric crowding at the ring nitrogen atom of a series of pyridine-based catalysts on the reaction mechanism and catalyst performance using batch reactor measurements at a mild temperature (57 °C) and atmospheric pressure under solventless conditions combined with in situ infrared spectroscopic characterization of the catalysts. We show that steric crowding at the ring nitrogen atom has a significant influence on the reaction mechanism and catalyst performance. Catalysts with unhindered access to the ring nitrogen atom, such as pyridine, 4-vinylpyridine, 3-vinylpyridine, and poly(4-vinylpyridine), are completely transformed during the cycloaddition reaction by quaternization from the epoxide reactant, producing zwitterionic pyridinium-epoxide adducts and ammonium salts that precipitate out of solution. Catalysts with hindered access to the ring nitrogen atom, such as 2-vinylpyridine and poly(2-vinylpyridine), resist quaternization from the epoxide reactant due to the high degree of steric hindrance at the ring nitrogen atom. The poly(2-vinylpyridine) catalyst in particular displayed high stability, high product selectivity, and high activity for cyclic carbonate synthesis. These molecular-level insights have significant implications for the rational design of active, stable, and metal-free catalysts for cyclic carbonate synthesis by tuning the steric crowding at the active site.