A2B2-zinc(II)porphyrin/divinylbenzene Copolymer as Efficiently Bifunctional Catalyst for Cycloaddition of CO2 with Epoxides

Abstract

In this work, the A₂B₂-type Zn-porphyrin (ZnPorI₂) featuring vinyl and imidazolium groups was utilized to prepare porous organic polymers (POPs). The vinyl group served as the linking unit for copolymerization with rigid divinylbenzene (DVB). The imidazolium group introduced iodide ions (I⁻) into ZnPorI₂/nDVB (n=30, 50) as Lewis base. By fine-tuning the ZnPorI₂ to DVB ratio, it is possible to optimize the porosity, morphology, and content of Zn-porphyrin. Owing to the synergistic effect of Zn²⁺ and I⁻, the as-prepared ZnPorI₂/30DVB exhibited excellent catalytic activities in the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide with epoxides.