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Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Achieving Moderate Pressures in Sealed Vessels Using Dry Ice As a Solid CO2 Source
Published on: August 17, 2018
Nickel promoted functionalization of CO2 to anhydrides and ketoacids
Zoe R Greenburg1, Dong Jin, Paul G Williard
1Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA. wb36@brown.edu.
Abstract:
The reductive functionalization of carbon dioxide into high value organics was accomplished via the coupling with carbon monoxide and ethylene/propylene at a zerovalent nickel species bearing the 2-((di-t-butylphosphino)methyl)pyridine ligand (PN). An initial oxidative coupling between carbon dioxide, olefin, and (PN)Ni(1,5-cyclooctadiene) afforded five-membered nickelacycle lactone species, which were produced with regioselective 1,2-coupling in the case of propylene. The propylene derived nickelacycle lactone was isolated and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Addition of carbon monoxide, or a combination of carbon monoxide and diethyl zinc to the nickelacycle lactone complexes afforded cyclic anhydrides and 1,4-ketoacids, respectively, in moderate to high yields. The primary organometallic product of the transformation was zerovalent (PN)Ni(CO)2.
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