Universal and low energy-demanding platform to produce propylene carbonate from CO2 using hydrophilic ionic liquids

• COSMO-RS method to evaluate extractive properties of ionic liquid + propylene carbonate pair in water. Experimental characterization phase equilibria for determination water impact the catalytic activity selected liquids. COSMO/Aspen tool models and simulates close-cycle processes Hydrophilicity within novel separation scheme stands as optimization key process. Ionic liquids (ILs) have been extensively proposed efficient catalysts promote CO 2 cycloaddition reaction epoxides producing cyclic carbonates. Recently, liquid-liquid extraction with an enhancer approach regenerate ILs purify product was proposed, since it reduces energy consumption enhances neat IL due hydroxyl groups In this work, a comprehensive sample homogeneous literature is experimentally evaluated both step its by water, demonstrate universality reaction-separation proposal hydrophilic ILs. Then complete conversion were modelled using Aspen Plus compare catalyst/product efficiency specific distillation-based platforms. The significantly lower platform (1.1–1.3 kWh/kg PC ) than distillation one (2.4–3.1 ). It concluded that liquids, those formed [EtOHmim] cation halide anions, are promising they allow: (i) reducing process their high (ii) full catalyst recovering, even at loadings, improving from PC.