Carbon Dioxide: Versatile, Cheap and Safe Alternative in the Syntheses of Organic Carbamates

Organic carbamates represent an important class of compounds showing various interesting properties. They find wide utility in various areas as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals (pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides etc.), intermediates in organic synthesis, protection of amino group in synthetic organic chemistry, as linkers in combinatorial chemistry etc. Classical synthesis of carbamates involves use of harmful reagents such as phosgene, its derivatives and carbon monoxide. Recently, carbon dioxide has frequently been employed as a green reagent in its various conditions and forms for the synthesis of organic carbamates employing diversity of starting materials, reagents and catalytic systems. In the present review, we would like to highlight the recent developments on the synthesis of organic carbamates using various conditions and forms of carbon dioxide.