The goal of our research is the chemical reduction of CO2 to methanol using renewable hydride sources. To this end, we are investigating various hydride sources, Lewis acid additives, and amine catalysts. In the literature, B-H and Si-H are common sources of hydrides that are utilized for a variety of reductions, including CO2 to methanol and other products. Unfortunately, these reductants are sacrificial and would not be practical for CO2 reduction on a larger scale. For this reason, we began investigating various organic hydride donors that could potentially be regenerated with renewable energy sources. Originally, we focused on hydride donors such as BIH and BNAH which are similar to hydride donors found in biological systems. These were not successful with our catalysts. However, the use of borohydrides with our amine catalysts instead of organic hydrides leads to rapid reduction of CO2 to methanol in several cases. This has prompted the desire to understand the role of boron and silicon as Lewis acids versus the strong B-O and Si-O bonds as driving forces in reduction of CO2 to methanol.

Investigations of factors that affect chemical reduction of CO2 to methanol

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

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