The synthesis of cyclic carbonates by the cycloaddition reaction of CO₂ with epoxy compounds is one of the most promising directions in the utilization of CO₂. The present work studies the synthesis of ethylene carbonate by the cycloaddition reaction of ethylene oxide with carbon dioxide in the presence of zinc-phenolate catalysts of the formula ZnY (where, Y – methylene-bis, thio-bis and dithio-bis alkyl phenols), ionic liquids of the formula RLX (where, R – H atom or C₁ –C₈ alkyl groups; L – cations of [NMP]⁺, [MIM]⁺, [Py]⁺ or alkyl amine; X  – anions of Br^–, НСОО^–, СН₃СОО^–), or binary catalysts Zn-phenolate/ionic liquid, using selected optimal zinc phenolate and ionic liquid catalysts, or by using synthesized ionic liquid catalysts of the formula R₂L₂X₂ZnY. In the presence of these catalysts the conversion of ethylene oxide is 32.0–99.0%, the selectivity for ethylene carbonate is 81.0–100.0%, the catalyst productivity is 210.0–1501.0 g EC/g Cat, and TOF is 891.0–12000.0 mol EC/mol Cat·h. Organic carbonates have a fairly large market (about 1.8 million tons/year) and are widely used as solvents, selective reagents, intermediates (for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and agricultural preparates), fuel additives, as well as monomers in polymer synthesis

doi.org/10.32737/0005-2531-2022-2-69-86