Recently, the efficient chemical fixation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into high value chemicals without using noble metal catalysts has become extremely appealing from the viewpoint of sustainable chemistry. In this work, a one-pot three component reaction of propargylic alcohols, anines and CO₂ that can proceed in an atom economy and environmentally benign manner by combination of CuI and tetrabutylphosphonium imidazol ([P4444][Im]) as a catalyst was described. Catalysis studies indicate that this catalytic system is an effective catalyst for the conversion of CO₂ into oxazolidinones at room temperature and ambient pressure without any solvent. The results provide a useful way to design novel noble metal-free catalyst systems for the transformation of CO₂ into other valuable compounds.
Keywords: carbon dioxide; catalysis; ionic liquids; oxazolidinones.