Cyclomatrix polyphosphazenes (PZS) can be readily synthesized through precipitation polymerization,^[1] and serves as a host of nanocomposites due to their large pores and electron-rich environment.^[2] Ionic liquids (ILs) are composed of ion pairs of which the anion catalyzes the cycloaddition reaction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) with epoxides.^[3] CO₂ is an abundant and renewable C1 building block for the synthesis of value-added carbonates/polycarbonates.^[4] Herein, we developed IL and PZS nanocomposites (IL@PZS) and applied them for CO₂ conversion.

The yields of styrene carbonate are dramatically increased compared to that using only ILs as catalysts. The catalytic activity of the IL@PZS nanocomposites depends on structure matchability between the ILs and the PZS. 

[1] Huang Z., Chen S., Lu X., Lu Q., Chem. Commun. 2015, 51, 8373.
[2] Mohanty P., Kull L. D., Landskron K., Nat. Commun., 2011, 2, 401.
[3] Sun Q., Aguila, B., Perman J., Nguyen N., Ma S., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2016, 138, 15790.
[4] Bobbink F. D., Dyson P. J., J. Catal., 2016, 343, 52.