Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2025
Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Transition Metal Pyrithione Complexes (Ni, Mn, Fe, and Co) as Electrocatalysts for Proton Reduction of Acetic Acid
1Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, 117543, Singapore.
Abstract:
A series of mononuclear first-row transition metal pyrithione M(pyr) complexes (M = Ni(II), Mn(II), n = 2; M = Co(III), Fe(III), n = 3) have been prepared from the reaction of the corresponding metal salt with the sodium salt of pyrithione. Using cyclic voltammetry, the complexes have been shown to behave as proton reduction electrocatalysts albeit with varying efficiencies in the presence of acetic acid as the proton source in acetonitrile. The nickel complex displays the optimal overall catalytic performance with an overpotential of 0.44 V. An ECEC mechanism is suggested for the nickel-catalyzed system based on the experimental data and supported by density functional theory calculations.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:24Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
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.
02:42Acidity of 1-Alkynes
The acidic strength of hydrocarbons follows the order: Alkynes > Alkenes > Alkanes. The strength of an acid is commonly expressed in units of pKa — the lower the pKa, the stronger the acid. Among the hydrocarbons, terminal alkynes have lower pKa values and are, therefore, more acidic. For example, the pKa values for ethane, ethene, and acetylene are 51, 44, and 25, respectively, as shown here.
02:17Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
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...
01:24Preparation of Aldehydes and Ketones from Nitriles and Carboxylic Acids
Reducing carboxylic acid derivatives like acyl chlorides (RCOCl), esters (RCO2R′), and nitriles (RCN) using milder aluminum hydride agents like lithium tri-tert-butoxyaluminum hydride [LiAlH(O-t-Bu)3] and diisobutylaluminum hydride [DIBAL-H]...
01:24Acetals and Thioacetals as Protecting Groups for Aldehydes and Ketones
In the presence of multiple functional groups, when selective reduction of one group over the other is desired, groups like aldehydes and ketones that form acetals...
01:17Carboxylic Acids to Primary Alcohols: Hydride Reduction