A Molecular Copper Catalyst for Hydrogenation of CO₂ to Formate

Abstract

There is widespread interest in the hydrogenation of CO 2 to energy-rich products such as formate. However, first-row transition metal catalysts for the hydrogenation of CO 2 to formate remain rare. Copper complexes are widely used in the reduction of organic substrates, but their use in the catalytic hydrogenation of CO 2 has been limited. Here, we demonstrate that the copper(I) complex LCu(MeCN)PF 6 is an active catalyst for CO 2 hydrogenation in the presence of a suitable base. Screening of bases and studies of catalytic reactions by in operando spectroscopy revealed important and unusual roles for the base in promoting H 2 activation and turnover.