Electrochemical activation of carbon dioxide: Synthesis of organic carbonates.

Electrochemically activated CO2 reacts, under mild conditions, with primary and secondary alcohols bearing a leaving group at the alpha-position affording the corresponding cyclic carbonates in high yields; unsubstituted alcohols are converted, after addition of EtI, into the corresponding unsymmetrical ethyl carbonates in moderate to good yields. Tertiary alcohols and phenols are stable to the reagent.