University Chemistry ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (2): 178-189.doi: 10.12461/PKU.DXHX202502105

Special Issue:

• Survey of Chemistry • Previous Articles     Next Articles

“Gorgeous Transformation” of Carbon Dioxide into Cyclic Carbonates: Catalyst Types and Roles

Jiayi Yang1,2, Jianxiu Hao1,2, Huacong Zhou1,2,3, Quansheng Liu1,2   

  1. 1 College of Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, China;
    2 Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering, Hohhot 010051, China;
    3. Key Laboratory of CO2 Resource Utilization at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010051, China
  • Received:2025-02-20 Accepted:2025-03-10 Published:2025-12-27
  • Contact: Jianxiu Hao E-mail:hjx2020@imut.edu.cn

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Abstract: The massive emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) has led to a series of environmental challenges; however, CO2 is also a valuable carbon resource. As a result, capturing CO2 and converting it into high-value chemicals has become an urgent area of research in both science and industry. Chemically, CO2 is considered a stable, safe, and abundant C1 resource. Converting CO2 into high-value chemicals not only addresses the issue of CO2 emissions but also facilitates its resource utilization. Among the various methods, the catalytic addition of CO2 to epoxides for the preparation of high-value cyclic carbonates is a promising strategy for CO2 utilization. This process is atomically efficient (100%), generates no by-products, and operates under mild reaction conditions. This review discusses the chemical utilization pathways of CO2, emphasizes efficient catalysts for the CO2 cycloaddition reaction, compares the catalytic activities of different types of catalysts, and concludes with a summary and outlook on the progress in CO2 cycloaddition research.

Key words: Carbon dioxide, Epoxide, Cyclic carbonate, Catalyst