Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation02:17

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation

3.7K
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...
3.7K
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation02:13

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

13.2K
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...
13.2K
Catalysis02:50

Catalysis

29.0K
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.
29.0K
Carboxylic Acids to Methylesters: Alkylation using Diazomethane01:33

Carboxylic Acids to Methylesters: Alkylation using Diazomethane

2.6K
Carboxylic acids react with diazomethane in an ether solvent via alkylation at the carboxylate oxygen atom to give methyl esters of the corresponding acid with excellent yields.
2.6K
Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview01:13

Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview

2.3K
Recently, the development of olefin metathesis polymerization advanced the field of polymer synthesis. Simply put, the reorganization of substituents on their double bonds between two olefins in the presence of a catalyst is known as the olefin metathesis reaction. The use of metathesis reaction for polymer synthesis is called olefin metathesis polymerization.
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists of a...
2.3K
Oxymercuration-Reduction of Alkenes02:36

Oxymercuration-Reduction of Alkenes

8.5K
Oxymercuration–reduction of alkenes is one of the major reactions converting alkenes to alcohols. It involves the hydration of alkenes with mercuric acetate in a mixture of tetrahydrofuran and water, forming an organomercury adduct. This is followed by a demercuration step in which the adduct is reduced to an alcohol using sodium borohydride.
8.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Ant abaecin-2 is a context-dependent copper-binding effector that can be either inhibitory or protective.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Photo Capture of Water by Single Crystals of a Nonporous Metal-Organic Material.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Correlated solvent coordinates accelerate multi-donor proton-coupled electron transfer.

Chemical science·2025
Same author

CO Reduction to Ethylene and Cyclopropane via a Trappable Ruthenium Methylidene.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2025
Same author

Subnanometer Thick Native sp<sup>2</sup> Carbon on Oxidized Diamond Surfaces.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2025
Same author

Multi-omics analysis reveals important role for microbial-derived metabolites from <i>Botryllus schlosseri</i> in metal interactions.

mSystems·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 16, 2025

CO2 Photoreduction to CH4 Performance Under Concentrating Solar Light
07:08

CO2 Photoreduction to CH4 Performance Under Concentrating Solar Light

Published on: June 12, 2019

7.2K

Methane Generation from CO2 with a Molecular Rhenium Catalyst.

John K Nganga1, Lucienna M Wolf2, Kankana Mullick1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-30602, United States.

Inorganic Chemistry
|February 22, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed novel rhenium catalysts that convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into methane (CH4). These are the first rhenium(I) catalysts to achieve this challenging transformation, paving the way for CO2 utilization.

More Related Videos

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
10:57

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Published on: April 10, 2018

18.7K
Line Shape Analysis of Dynamic NMR Spectra for Characterizing Coordination Sphere Rearrangements at a Chiral Rhenium Polyhydride Complex
10:52

Line Shape Analysis of Dynamic NMR Spectra for Characterizing Coordination Sphere Rearrangements at a Chiral Rhenium Polyhydride Complex

Published on: July 27, 2022

3.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 16, 2025

CO2 Photoreduction to CH4 Performance Under Concentrating Solar Light
07:08

CO2 Photoreduction to CH4 Performance Under Concentrating Solar Light

Published on: June 12, 2019

7.2K
Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
10:57

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Published on: April 10, 2018

18.7K
Line Shape Analysis of Dynamic NMR Spectra for Characterizing Coordination Sphere Rearrangements at a Chiral Rhenium Polyhydride Complex
10:52

Line Shape Analysis of Dynamic NMR Spectra for Characterizing Coordination Sphere Rearrangements at a Chiral Rhenium Polyhydride Complex

Published on: July 27, 2022

3.1K

Area of Science:

  • Catalysis
  • Electrochemistry
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Homogeneous catalysts are crucial for converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable products.
  • Methane (CH4), a primary component of natural gas, is a target product for CO2 reduction.
  • Developing efficient catalysts for CO2 to CH4 conversion remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize and characterize novel rhenium tricarbonyl complexes with asymmetric diimine ligands.
  • To investigate the catalytic activity of these complexes in the electrochemical reduction of CO2.
  • To explore the potential of these catalysts for producing methane from CO2.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis and characterization of three isomeric rhenium(I) complexes: Re(quin-1-oxa)(CO)3Cl, Re(quin-2-oxa)(CO)3Cl, and Re(quin-3-oxa)(CO)3Cl.
  • Electrochemical studies including cyclic voltammetry and bulk electrolysis.
  • Spectroscopic analysis and isotope labeling experiments (13CO2 to 13CH4).
  • Theoretical calculations to elucidate the reaction mechanism.

Main Results:

  • The synthesized rhenium complexes effectively catalyze the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4).
  • Methane production was observed with turnover numbers ranging from 1.3 to 1.8 at -2.5 V vs Fc+/0 in the presence of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol.
  • Isotope labeling confirmed that the methane produced originates from the reduction of CO2.
  • Ligand-assisted pathways involving electron density delocalization were proposed as key to efficient CH4 formation.

Conclusions:

  • These rhenium(I) complexes represent the first catalysts capable of converting CO2 into methane.
  • The study provides insights into the mechanism of CO2 reduction to CH4, highlighting the role of ligand design.
  • The findings offer a foundation for developing more robust and efficient catalysts for CO2 valorization into methane.