Fixation of CO2 into cyclic carbonates catalyzed by ionic liquids: a multi-scale approach
Bao-Hua Xu,Jin-Quan Wang,Jian Sun,Ying Huang,Jun-Ping Zhang,Xiang-Ping Zhang,Suo-Jiang Zhang
Green Chemistry Pub Date : 11/04/2014 00:00:00 , DOI:10.1039/C4GC01754D
Abstract

Fixation of CO2 to cyclic carbonates is one of the most important reactions since it represents a much greener alternative to the traditional phosgene process. In this context, the transformation of CO2 with epoxides into cyclic carbonates with respect to the newly emerged ionic liquid (IL) technology is discussed from a multi-scale viewpoint, including (1) the mechanism considering the “cooperative effect” at the basic atom and molecule level; (2) the reactor configuration at the unit level; (3) and the related process integration at the system level.

Graphical abstract: Fixation of CO2 into cyclic carbonates catalyzed by ionic liquids: a multi-scale approach