High-yield synthesis of cyclic carbamates from carbon dioxide and aminoalcohols catalyzed by ceria

Abstract

Cyclic carbamates, which is useful in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical intermediates, were synthesized from carbon dioxide and aminoalcohols using ceria catalyst. Acetonitrile has high solubility of carbon dioxide and is the most effective solvent. In optimized reaction conditions, 2-oxazolidinone is obtained from 2-aminoethanol with 97% yield. When this catalyst system was applied to aminoalcohols which have –OH and –NHR groups at 1 and 2-positions or 1 and 3-positions, five- and six-membered-ring carbamates can be selectively synthesized in high yield.