Hydrogenation of CO₂ to Formate using a Simple, Recyclable, and Efficient Heterogeneous Catalyst

Today, one of the most imperative targets to realize the conversions of CO₂ in industry is the development of practically viable catalytic systems that demonstrate excellent activity, selectivity, and durability. Herein, a simple heterogeneous Ru(III) catalyst is prepared by immobilizing commercially available RuCl₃· xH₂O onto a bipyridine-functionalized covalent triazine framework, [bpy-CTF-RuCl₃], for the first time. This novel catalyst efficiently hydrogenates CO₂ into formate with an unprecedented turnover frequency (38800 h^-1) and selectivity. In addition, the catalyst excellently maintains its efficiency over successive runs and produces a maximum final formate concentration of ∼2.1 M in just 2.5 h with a conversion of 12% in regard to CO₂ feed. The apparent advantages of air stability, ease of handling, simplicity, the use of a readily available metal precursor, and the outstanding catalytic performance make [bpy-CTF-RuCl₃] one of the possible candidates for realizing the large-scale production of formic acid/formate by CO₂ hydrogenation.