Efficient Synthesis of Organic Carbonates to the Multigram Level from CO.sub.2 Using a New Chitin-Supported Catalyst

A new a chitin-supported KI catalyst system has shown highly efficient activity towards the cycloaddition of CO.sub.2 to epoxides. The cooperative effect of this catalyst system is enhanced when a little amount of DBU as additive is added at a KI:DBU weight ratio of 8:2, which enables scaling-up procedures to a multigram level, using a widely available biopolymer such as chitin. Furthermore, the same catalyst composition is able to activate the trans-esterification of propylene carbonate to dimethyl carbonate under smooth reaction conditions using a KI:DBU weight ratio 1:1.