Graphene-based catalysts for efficient conversion of CO2 into value-added cyclic carbonates and oxazolidinone derivatives.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) plays a major role in global warming, so researchers around the world are seeking ways to convert CO2 into valuable organic compounds. Carbon-based catalysts, such as graphene oxide (GO), functionalized GO (F-GO), and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites, offer exceptional surface area, high electrical conductivity, and tunable surface chemistry, making them effective for CO2 activation and conversion under relatively mild conditions. The main goal of this review is to present a comprehensive overview of the application of graphene-based catalysts for the conversion of carbon dioxide into value-added compounds. We summarize recent reports on the conversion of CO2 into five-membered cyclic carbonates and their five-membered analogs, oxazolidinone derivatives. This includes the cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxide to synthesize cyclic carbonates, the cycloaddition of CO2 with propargylic alcohols to synthesize alkylidene carbonates, the three-component coupling of CO2, propargylic alcohols, and amines to produce oxazolidinone compounds, and the carboxylative cyclization of propargylic amines with CO2 to produce oxazolidinone compounds. In addition, we cover the coupling reactions of arylacetylene, aldehyde, and benzylamine derivatives with carbon dioxide, as well as the coupling of imine-obtained via self-condensation of benzylamine derivatives-and arylacetylene with CO2 for the synthesis of oxazolidinone compounds. We also briefly discuss the general mechanistic roles of graphene-based catalysts in the conversion of CO2 into value-added products.