Influence of Pore Size on Cycloaddition Reaction of CO2 and Epoxide Catalyzed by Supported Imidazolium Ionic Liquids

Abstract

Conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to other chemicals has attracted much attention due to the wide applications of products and its importance. Robust catalysts are critical for efficient conversion due to the inertness of CO₂. Immobilized ionic liquid (IL) is one of the most important catalysts with numerous advantages. Various immobilized ILs have been developed with different ILs and supporters. However, rare studies have been carried out to compare the influence of different supporters on the catalytic performance with the fixed IL, especially for the supporter with or without pores. Imidazolium-based IL, imidazolium hydrogen bromide (IMHBr), is immobilized on three different supporters, polystyrene (PS), Santa Barbara Amorphous-15 (SBA-15), and Materials of Institute Lavoisier-101 Chromium (MIL-101(Cr)), to form three immobilized ILs with the central aim to uncover the influence of supporter on the catalytic performance. The MIL-101-IMHBr exhibits better catalytic activity than PS-IMHBr although the immobilized amount of IMHBr on the former is less. The porous structure plays a critical role in enhancing the catalytic activity. In the future, we still need to commit ourselves to the development of catalysts with superior performance.