AgNPs Embedded in Porous Polymeric Framework: A Reusable Catalytic System for the Synthesis of α-Alkylidene Cyclic Carbonates and Oxazolidinones via Chemical Fixation of CO2

Abstract

Porous polymeric frameworks have received great interest over the past few years because of their nonstop growth as crystalline porous polymeric materials connected through covalent bonds and versatile utilities in diverse fields. The production of high-value organic compounds via sustainable and environment-friendly methods is an uphill struggle for researchers. The elegant strategy of using carbon dioxide as a C1 building block is an intriguing platform owing to its non-toxicity, easy accessibility, natural abundance, recyclability, non-flammability, and cheapness. Additionally, CO2 levels are regarded as the main contributor to the greenhouse effect (the most abundant greenhouse gas across the globe) and the aforementioned strategy needs to mitigate CO2 emissions. This present study describes the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) embedded in a porous polymeric framework, a reusable heterogeneous catalyst (recyclable over 5 times), TpMA (MC)@Ag. The synthesized catalyst is characterized by using FT-IR, PXRD, XPS, FE-SEM, TEM, EDAX, TGA DTA, and N2 sorption studies. Additionally, the catalysts can be easily recycled to generate the desired α-alkylidene cyclic carbonates and oxazolidinone compounds under solvent-free conditions. This research demonstrates the potential of nanoporous 2D porous polymeric framework-based materials in the area of catalysis, specially, in CO2 capture and chemical fixation. These findings offer a promising approach for the chemical fixation of CO2 into α-alkylidene cyclic carbonates and oxazolidinones from propargylic alcohols utilizing AgNPs embedded in a 2D catalyst, which functions as a potential heterogeneous catalyst under mild conditions (e.g., solvent-free approach).