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Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Versatile CO2 Transformations into Complex Products: A One-pot Two-step Strategy
Published on: November 9, 2019
CO2 Conversion into Esters by Fluoride-Mediated Carboxylation of Organosilanes and Halide Derivatives
Xavier Frogneux1, Niklas von Wolff1, Pierre Thuéry1
1NIMBE, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Abstract:
A one-step conversion of CO2 into heteroaromatic esters is presented under metal-free conditions. Using fluoride anions as promoters for the C-Si bond activation, pyridyl, furanyl, and thienyl organosilanes are successfully carboxylated with CO2 in the presence of an electrophile. The mechanism of this unprecedented reaction has been elucidated based on experimental and computational results, which show a unique catalytic influence of CO2 in the C-Si bond activation of pyridylsilanes. The methodology is applied to 18 different esters, and it has enabled the incorporation of CO2 into a polyester material for the first time.
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