CO2 Reduction: Recharging the Right Battery

We envisage logical design for molecules that can transform carbon dioxide (CO2) to useful chemicals. Iron and Co complex with covalently attached proton transfer motifs are tuned to reduce CO2 to CO as well as formic acid selectively under different experimental conditions. The selectivity is governed by relative binding affinity of the reduced Fe center towards CO2 and H+ which in turn can be tuned by utilizing the distal functional groups. Resonance Raman spectroscopy, FTIR and electrochemical techniques are used to elucidate the reaction mechanism. The role of different intermediates in governing the selectivity will be illustrated. The tailor-made complexes are demonstrated to be among the most selective and efficient electrocatalysts to be developed till date. 

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Chem. Soc. Rev., 2021,50, 3755-3823