Catalytic properties of CeO 2 and its nanocomposites in the formation of cyclic carbamates from amino alcohols under CO 2 pressure

CeO2 and CeO2/SBA-15 composites prepared by thermal decomposition of ammonium cerium (IV) nitrate at different temperatures were evaluated as heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of cyclic carbamates from amino alcohols and CO2 under elevated pressure. The catalytic activity of CeO2 strongly depended on the preparation temperature, with the CeO2/300 sample exhibiting the highest activity. In the conversion of 2-aminoethanol to 1,3-oxazolidin-2-one, a maximum product yield of 84% was achieved over CeO2/300, whereas increasing the CeO2 preparation temperature to 500 °C resulted in a decrease to 14%. The catalytic performance also depended on the solvent and amino alcohol structure.