One-Pot CuI/DBU-Catalyzed Carboxylative Cyclization toward Oxazolidinones Using Recyclable Molecular Sieves as Efficient Promoters for Fixation of CO2 in Water Medium

An efficient one-pot synthesis of oxazolidinones was developed through CuI/DBU/MS joint system-catalyzed carboxylative cyclization of arylacetylene, arylaldehyde, and arylamine in water medium under a 1 atm carbon dioxide (CO2) atmosphere. The 4 Å molecular sieves (MSs) were added to improve CO2 capture and facilitate carboxylation to give the products in high yields. The CuI/DBU/MS system is robust and highly effective for the reactions with different substrates, and some target products were obtained in an excellent yield of ∼96%, with no side products in the final step.