Cyclic carbonates were synthesized via the coupling reaction of CO2 with epoxides at ambient pressure. The reaction of atmospheric pressure CO2 with styrene oxide (SO) was selected as the model reaction. The coupling reaction was investigated by varying a simple catalytic system composed of Lewis acid and quaternary ammonium salt, molar ratio of catalyst to substrate, solvent, and temperature. The yield of styrene carbonate (SC) reached 91.5% in the presence of ZnBr2/Bu4NBr at p(CO2)° = 0.1 MPa and 100°C for 4 h. The coupling reactions betwee...
