Cross-linked Mg–porphyrin polymer as an efficient heterogeneous photocatalyst for the cycloaddition of aziridines with CO2 under ambient conditions†

Abstract

The conversion of CO₂ to value-added chemical products is one of the hottest scientific topics that is receiving considerable interest. Oxazolidinone, a product derived from CO₂, has received widespread attention due to its potential applications in the preparation of natural products. Here, we report a new heterogeneous polymer-supported magnesium–porphyrin as a photocatalyst for the conversion of CO₂ and aziridines to oxazolidinones under ambient conditions (room temperature and 1 atmosphere CO₂ pressure). We further studied the scope of oxazolidinone synthesis using various aziridines, and the catalyst was successfully reused several times.