Efficient CO fixation into cyclic carbonates catalyzed by NNO-scorpionate zinc complexes.

A series of new chiral zwitterionic NNO-scorpionate mononuclear zinc alkyls [Zn(R)(κ3-NNO)]Br was developed in very high yields via suitable quaternization in the scorpionate ligand. These zwitterionic complexes performed as bifunctional catalysts and exhibited improved catalytic activity for the fixation of CO2 into cyclic carbonates compared to the neutral analog mononuclear [Zn(R)(κ3-NNO)] and binuclear [Zn(R)(κ2-NNμ-O)Zn(R)2] compounds. The catalyst system showed a broad substrate scope and functional group tolerance under mild and solvent-free conditions.