Abstract
[Display omitted]
•Covalent Organic Framework (COF) was synthesized and Characterized.•COF was successfully used as the active photocatalyst for CO2 fixation to Cyclic Carbonate under Visible Light.•Good yield of the corresponding products (Cyclic Carbonate) were obtained.•Control experiments suggest the light dependency of the reaction.•Mechanistic investigation was carried out with spectrometric analysis.•The catalyst was recycled and reused for five times retaining its activity.
We have demonstrated the photo-catalytic fixation of CO2 over epoxides for the formation of corresponding cyclic carbonates using a mesoporous Covalent Organic Framework (COF) which acts as a potential photocatalyst with TBAB (Tetrabutyl ammonium bromide), 5 mol% as the co-catalyst under atmospheric pressure in visible light. Greater than 86% yield of the isolated product is achieved with the use of 5 mg of catalyst. The use of Catalyst and co-catalyst TBAB controls the reaction cycle. There is no progress of the reaction occurred in the absence of light (445 nm) even on the elevation of reaction temperature. We have also demonstrated that 25% of the isolated product could be obtained with the use of sunlight using the catalytic cycle. These results open the door to an entirely new class of protocol for photo catalytically fixation of CO2 into cyclic carbonate from epoxide using COF as photocatalyst under visible light.