With the world’s increasing levels of atmospheric CO2 and detrimental climate change, the electrochemical conversion of CO2 to useful chemicals and fuels is paramount. One of the most well-established catalysts for the electrochemical conversion of CO2 to CO is fac-Re(bpy)(CO)3Cl (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine). A series of bio-inspired Re(bpy)(CO)3Cl complexes were synthesized by incorporating into the ligand scaffold pendant secondary (NHMe) and tertiary (NMe2) amines capable of undergoing second-sphere hydrogen bonding interactions. Under an atmosphere of CO2 and in the presence of Brønsted acid 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, mono-substituted complexes 2 and 4 both display large increases in current, corresponding to the reduction of CO2 to CO with moderate Faradaic efficiencies near 60%. These complexes also produce CO in quantities analogous to Re(bpy)(CO)3Cl under identical conditions.

Rhenium bipyridine catalysts with hydrogen bonding pendant amines for CO2 reduction

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.