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Electroreduction of CO 2 to Formate with Low Overpotential using Cobalt Pyridine Thiolate Complexes
Author(s) -
Dey Subal,
Todorova Tanya K.,
Fontecave Marc,
Mougel Victor
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.202006269
Subject(s) - overpotential , cobalt , formate , catalysis , chemistry , pyridine , coordination sphere , hydride , inorganic chemistry , combinatorial chemistry , metal , organic chemistry , electrode , electrochemistry
Abstract Electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction to value‐added products provides a viable alternative to the use of carbon sources derived from fossil fuels. Carrying out these transformations at reasonable energetic costs, for example, with low overpotential, remains a challenge. Molecular catalysts allow fine control of activity and selectivity via tuning of their coordination sphere and ligand set. Herein we investigate a series of cobalt(III) pyridine‐thiolate complexes as electrocatalysts for CO 2 reduction. The effect of the ligands and proton sources on activity was examined. We identified bipyridine bis(2‐pyridinethiolato) cobalt(III) hexaflurophosphate as a highly selective catalyst for formate production operating at a low overpotential of 110 mV with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 10 s −1 . Electrokinetic analysis coupled with density functional theory (DFT) computations established the mechanistic pathway, highlighting the role of metal hydride intermediates. The catalysts deactivate via the formation of stable cobalt carbonyl complexes, but the active species could be regenerated upon oxidation and release of coordinated CO ligands.