Synthesis of Symmetrical Urea Derivatives From CO2 and Amines Over Copper-Based Core-Shell Catalysts

Urea derivatives are key intermediates in the synthesis of agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals and also have applications as additives in fuels and polymers. Traditional production routes require the use of highly toxic chemicals such as phosgene, isocyanates and carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide is emerging as an alternative feedstock for the production of urea derivatives, avoiding the use of such hazardous materials. Previous studies, however, employed catalysts based on rare and expensive metals for long reaction times of up to 48 h. This work presented here shows the successful synthesis of urea derivatives from CO2 and various amines using inexpensive and abundant copper and iron-based catalysts with reduced reaction times.