Herein, we report
the application of inexpensive mesoporous melamine-formaldehyde
resins (MMFR and MMFR250) obtained by a novel template-free and organosolvent-free
hydrothermal method as efficient heterogeneous catalysts for direct
synthesis of cyclic carbonates from CO2 and epoxides (epichlorohydrin,
butylene oxide, and styrene oxide). The catalytic activities of the
melamine resins were attributed to the abundant Lewis basic N-sites
capable of activating CO2 molecules. Based on CO2-temperature programmed desorption, the concentrations of surface
basic sites for MMFR and MMFR250 were estimated to be 172 and 56 μmol/g,
while the activation energies of CO2 desorption (strength
of basic sites) were calculated to be 92.1 and 64.5 kJ/mol. We also
observed considerable differences in the catalytic activities and
stabilities of polymeric catalysts in batch and in continuous-flow
mode due to the existence of a synergism between adsorption of CO2 and cyclic carbonates (poison). Our experiments also revealed
the important role of catalyst surface chemistry and CO2 partial pressure upon catalyst poisoning. Nevertheless, owing to
their unique properties (large specific surface area, large mesoporous,
and CO2 basicity), melamine resins presented excellent
activities (turnover frequency 207–2147 h–1) and selectivities (>99%) for carbonation of epoxides with CO2 (20 bar initial CO2 or CO2:epoxide
mole ratio ∼1.5) under solvent-free and co-catalyst-free conditions
at 100–120 °C. Most importantly, these low-cost polymeric
catalysts were reusable and demonstrated exceptional stability in
a flow reactor (tested up to 13 days of time on stream, weight hourly
space velocity 0.26–1.91 h–1) for continuous
cyclic carbonate production from gaseous CO2 with different
epoxides (conversion 76–100% and selectivity >99%) under
industrially
relevant conditions (120 °C, 13 bar, solvent-free/co-catalyst-free)
confirming their superiority over the previously reported catalytic
materials.