Imidazolium-Functionalized Carbon Nanohorns for the Conversion of CO2 Unprecedented Increase of Catalytic Activity after Recycling

Carbon nanohorns (CNHs) were selected as a novel catalytic platform for the design of imidazolium based hybrid materials able to promote the conversion of carbon dioxide into cyclic carbonates. Several heterogeneous catalysts were prepared using a one-step procedure based on the radical polymerization of various bis-vinylimidazolium salts in the presence of pristine CNHs. The as-synthesized materials were tested for the fixation of CO2 into epoxides. The excellent catalytic performances were evaluated in terms of turnover number and productivity. The versatility of the above hybrids was proved using several epoxides as substrate. Catalysts recyclability was successfully verified for several consecutive runs....