Cu(i)-containing MOF as an efficient catalyst for the reactions of carbon dioxide and propargylic alcohols to form carbonates at room temperature

In this work, a novel Cu(i)-containing metal organic framework named [Cu-I]-Cu-BTC was easily synthesized via incorporating Cu(i) active sites onto the surface of Cu-BTC by in situ templated electrosynthesis using an ionic liquid system as the electrolyte. Using the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([Emim][OAc]) as the base, the [Cu-I]-Cu-BTC/[Emim][OAc] system showed efficient catalytic activity for the reactions of CO2 and propargylic alcohols under mild conditions, and high yields of alpha-alkylene cyclic carbonates were obtained. Moreover, the [Cu-I]-Cu-BTC/[Emim][OAc] system could be easily separated after the reaction and reused at least five times without obvious loss of catalytic activity. The Cu(i) and [OAc](-) played synergistic roles in activating the C (sic) C and hydroxyl groups in the propargylic alcohols, resulting in the excellent performance of [Cu-I]-Cu-BTC/[Emim][OAc].