Synthesis of cyclic carbonates by CO_(2) cycloaddition with epoxides:recent advances,challenges,and perspectivesOA

The catalytic conversion of CO_(2) into functionalized chemical products has evolved into a pivotal scientific frontier,garnering substantial research investment from multidisciplinary domains.Among diverse transformation pathways,the atomically economical cycloaddition between CO_(2) and epoxides to synthesize cyclic carbonates stands out as a paradigm of sustainable synthesis,fully complying with green chemistry metrics and circular economy principles.These value-added cyclic carbonates serve as critical components in advanced energy storage systems(e.g.,lithium-ion battery electrolytes),bioactive molecule synthesis,and specialty chemical production.This critical review systematically explores recent progress,technical barriers,and strategic directions within CO_(2) cycloaddition research.The analysis commences with a mechanistic dissection of three predominant activation modes(CO_(2) activation,epoxides activation,and dual activation),subsequently conducting comparative assessments of catalytic systems spanning molecular complexes to heterogeneous frameworks.A techno-economic evaluation is then presented regarding reactor configurations,including batch processing,continuous flow systems,and microchannel technologies.Notably,the work emphasizes an urgent need for innovative catalytic materials capable of dual-functionality:selective adsorption of dilute CO_(2) streams from industrial flue gases or ambient air under mild conditions(25℃,1 atm),coupled with in situ catalytic transformation into target carbonates without intermediate separation.The proposed research matrix establishes theoretical foundations and practical guidelines for developing next-generation carbon capture-utilization integrated technologies.