Supramolecular assembly promotes the electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide by Re(I) bipyridine catalysts at a lower overpotential

J Am Chem Soc. 2014 Oct 15;136(41):14598-607. doi: 10.1021/ja5085282. Epub 2014 Oct 6.

Abstract

The addition of methyl acetamidomethyl groups at the 4,4'-positions of a 2,2'-bipyridyl ligand is found to enhance the rate of a bimolecular reduction mechanism of CO2 by Re(I) fac-tricarbonyl chloride complexes. Electrochemical studies, spectroelectrochemical measurements, and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that these methyl acetamidomethyl groups promote the formation of a hydrogen-bonded dimer. This supramolecular complex catalyzes the reductive disproportionation of CO2 to CO and CO3(2-) at a lower overpotential (ca. 250 mV) than the corresponding single-site 2 e(-) reduction of CO2 to CO and H2O catalyzed by the corresponding model complex with a 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridyl ligand. These findings demonstrate that noncovalent self-assembly can modulate the catalytic properties of metal complexes by favoring alternate catalytic pathways.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbon Dioxide / chemistry*
  • Carbon Monoxide / chemical synthesis
  • Carbon Monoxide / chemistry
  • Catalysis
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Electrochemical Techniques*
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemical synthesis
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Pyridines / chemistry
  • Rhenium / chemistry
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Pyridines
  • Water
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Rhenium
  • Carbon Monoxide