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Updated: Sep 17, 2025

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Chelation Numbers Differentiate Performances of Co(II) Macrocyclic Catalysts in Electro-/Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
Weilu Zhang1,2, Zhi-Mei Luo1, Hong-Wei Lin1
1School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Instrumental Analysis & Research Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519082, China.
None:
Mechanistic studies with characterizing crucial intermediates are indispensable in elucidating the promotive effects of ligand modifications, which thereby serve as useful orientations for rational optimization of molecular catalysts for CO2 reduction. Herein we investigate the catalytic mechanism of a CoII catalyst bearing a tetra-dentate macrocyclic ligand by electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical techniques, where its unstable Co0 active species under catalytic conditions accounts for its lower catalytic performance compared to that of another CoII catalyst featuring a similar penta-dentate macrocyclic ligand.
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Conjugated systems containing an even number of π-electron pairs undergo a conrotatory ring closure. For example, thermal electrocyclization of (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadiene, a conjugated diene containing two π-electron pairs, gives trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene.

