Abstract
Herein, we describe the guanidine-promoted synthesis of carbonates from glycerol,
CO2, and alkyl halides. Specifically, a linear tricarbonate (1,2,3-tri-O-butoxycarbonylglycerol), a dicarbonate [butyl (2-oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl carbonate]
containing a linear and a cyclic moiety, and a cyclic monocarbonate (4-hydroxymethyl-2-oxo-1,3-dioxolan)
were selectively obtained in good yields, which were strongly affected by the steric
bulkiness of the guanidine group substituents. The developed method exhibits the advantages
of high efficiency and mild conditions, thus being a powerful tool for the synthesis
of value-added products from industrial by-products.
Key words
carbon dioxide - glycerol - carbonates - guanidines