Xiaoying Yang, Zhengyu Yang, Jianmin Li, Yubin Wang, Jide Wang, Changyan Guo
The development of efficient metal–organic framework (MOF)-based catalysts for converting CO 2 into value-added chemicals via epoxide activation remains both scientifically and technically challenging. This study presents an imidazolium-based ionic liquid/MOF (IL/MOF) composite with precisely controlled porosity, achieved through an IL soft-template strategy that optimizes the pore structure by regulating MOF crystal growth. This structural enhancement significantly improves CO 2 and epoxide adsorption/activation capabilities. It is worth noting that under mild conditions (80 °C and atmospheric CO 2 pressure), the composite material achieves a cyclic carbonate yield of 95.7% and exhibits certain recyclability (up to 6 cycles). Even in simulated flue gas (15% CO 2 ), it maintains 99% CO 2 selectivity after 16 h.The synergistic catalytic system, comprising Zn Lewis acid sites, Br – nucleophiles from IL, and imidazole-derived Lewis basic environments, effectively activates both epoxides and CO 2 . This work establishes a strategic approach for synthesizing IL/MOF catalysts that enable efficient atmospheric-pressure conversion of CO 2 into value-added chemicals.