Highly efficient hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to formate catalyzed by iridium(iii) complexes of imine–diphosphine ligands†
Abstract
A new iridium catalyst containing an imine–diphosphine ligand has been developed, which showed high efficiency for the hydrogenation of CO2 to formate (yield up to 99%, TON up to 450 000). A possible catalytic mechanism is proposed, in which the imine group of the catalyst plays a key role in the cleavage of H2 and the activation of CO2.