Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 5, 2026
10:57
Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
19.4K
Catalyst Control of Selectivity in CO2 Reduction Using a Tunable Heterobimetallic Effect.
Sharareh Bagherzadeh1, Neal P Mankad1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago , 845 West Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|August 22, 2015
Summary
Researchers discovered a tunable bimetallic effect in catalytic carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction using copper complexes. This approach controls product selectivity, favoring carbon monoxide (CO) or formate production by adjusting the metal pairing.
Area of Science:
- Catalysis
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction is crucial for sustainable chemical synthesis.
- Controlling product selectivity in CO2 reduction remains a significant challenge.
- N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-ligated metal complexes offer tunable catalytic properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of a bimetallic effect on product selectivity in catalytic CO2 reduction.
- To explore the use of NHC-ligated copper complexes for CO2 valorization.
- To understand how tuning the electronic nature of bimetallic centers influences catalytic outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of NHC-ligated monometallic copper and bimetallic copper-M (M = Fe, W, Mo) catalysts.
- Catalytic hydroboration of CO2 using pinacolborane.
- Analysis of reaction products (formate and CO) using analytical techniques.
- Systematic variation of the Cu/M electronic pairing to study selectivity trends.
Main Results:
- Monometallic Cu catalysts exclusively produced formate.
- Bimetallic Cu-Fe, Cu-W, and Cu-Mo catalysts yielded mixtures of formate and CO.
- Catalyst selectivity for CO versus formate was tunable by adjusting the electronic properties of the Cu/M bimetallic center.
- A Cu-Mo catalyst demonstrated high selectivity for CO production.
Conclusions:
- A tunable bimetallic effect significantly influences product selectivity in catalytic CO2 reduction.
- NHC-ligated bimetallic copper complexes provide a versatile platform for controlling CO2 valorization pathways.
- The electronic nature of the bimetallic pairing is a key factor in achieving selective CO or formate synthesis.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:22Heterogeneous Catalysis
111
Heterogeneous catalysis involves a catalyst in a different phase from the reactants. It is a process where the catalyst and the reactants are in distinct phases, typically solid and gas or liquid.Most heterogeneous catalysts are metals, metal oxides, or acids. The list includes transition metals like iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), tungsten (W), silver (Ag), and copper (Cu). These metals possess partially vacant d orbitals that...
111
02:50Catalysis
32.4K
The presence of a catalyst affects the rate of a chemical reaction. A catalyst is a substance that can increase the reaction rate without being consumed during the process. A basic comprehension of a catalysts’ role during chemical reactions can be understood from the concept of reaction mechanisms and energy diagrams.
32.4K
02:17Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
4.0K
Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes is a transition-metal catalyzed reduction of the double bond using molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. The mode of hydrogen addition follows syn stereochemistry.
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
4.0K
02:13Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
15.0K
Alkenes undergo reduction by the addition of molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. Because the process generally occurs in the presence of a transition-metal catalyst, the reaction is called catalytic hydrogenation.
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
15.0K
01:28Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane: Catalytic Hydrogenation
6.4K
Unlike the easy catalytic hydrogenation of an alkene double bond, hydrogenation of a benzene double bond under similar reaction conditions does not take place easily. For example, in the reduction of stilbene, the benzene ring remains unaffected while the alkene bond gets reduced. Hydrogenation of an alkene double bond is exothermic and a favorable process. In contrast, to hydrogenate the first unsaturated bond of benzene, an energy input is needed; that is, the process is endothermic. This is...
6.4K
02:24Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
9.6K
Introduction
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
9.6K