The Reaction between K 2 CO 3 and Ethylene Glycol in Deep Eutectic Solvents.

Understanding intermolecular interactions is important for the design of deep eutectic solvents. Herein, potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3 ) and ethylene glycol (EG) are used to form deep eutectic solvents. The interactions between K 2 CO 3 and EG are studied using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. Interestingly, the interaction results indicate that the carbonate anion CO32- can react with EG to form EG-based organic carbonate, which can occur even at room temperature. The possible reaction steps between K 2 CO 3 and EG are presented. As K 2 CO 3 can be prepared from CO 2 and KOH, the findings of this work may provide a promising strategy for CO 2 capture and conversion.