Aromaticity as stabilizing element in the bidentate activation for the catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide

Zhenpin Lu; Heike Hausmann; Sabine Becker; Hermann A Wegner

doi:10.1021/jacs.5b02905

Aromaticity as stabilizing element in the bidentate activation for the catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide

J Am Chem Soc. 2015 Apr 29;137(16):5332-5. doi: 10.1021/jacs.5b02905. Epub 2015 Apr 17.

Authors

Zhenpin Lu¹, Heike Hausmann¹, Sabine Becker¹, Hermann A Wegner¹

Affiliation

¹ †Institut für Organische Chemie and $Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Justus Liebig Universität, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, 35392 Giessen, Germany.

PMID: 25871326
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b02905

Abstract

A new transition-metal-free mode for the catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide via bidentate interaction has been developed. In the presence of Li2[1,2-C6H4(BH3)2], CO2 can be selectively transformed to either methane or methanol, depending on the reducing agent. The bidentate nature of binding is supported by X-ray analysis of an intermediate analogue, which experiences special stabilization due to aromatic character in the bidentate interaction. Kinetic studies revealed a first-order reaction rate. The transformation can be conducted without any solvent.