Ruthenium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Dialkoxymethane Ethers Utilizing Carbon Dioxide and Molecular Hydrogen

Selective reductive conversion of CO2 to CH2-bridged compounds by using a Fe-functionalized graphene oxide-based catalyst

Anthropogenic climate change drastically affects our planet, with CO2 being the most critical gaseous driver. Despite the existing carbon dioxide capture and transformation, there is much need for innovative carbon dioxide hydrogenation catalysts with excellent selectivity. Here, we present a fast, effective, and sustainable route for coupling diverse alcohols, amines and amides with CO2 via heterogenization of a natural metal-based homogeneous catalyst through decorating on functionalized graphene oxide (GO). Combined synthetic, experimental, and theoretical studies unravel mechanistic routes to convergent 4‑electron reduction of CO2 under mild conditions. We successfully replace the toxic and expensive ruthenium species with inexpensive, ubiquitously available and recyclable iron. This iron-based functionalized graphene oxide (denoted as Fe@GO-EDA, where EDA represents ethylenediamine) functions as an efficient catalyst for the selective conversion of CO2 into a formaldehyde oxidation level, thus opening the door for interesting molecular structures using CO2 as a C1 source. Overall, this work describes an intriguing heterogeneous platform for the selective synthesis of valuable methylene-bridged compounds via 4‑electron reduction of CO2.

Interdisciplinary development of an overall process concept from glucose to 4,5-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane via 2,3-butanediol

To reduce carbon dioxide emissions, carbon-neutral fuels have recently gained renewed attention. Here we show the development and evaluation of process routes for the production of such a fuel, the cyclic acetal 4,5-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane, from glucose via 2,3-butanediol. The selected process routes are based on the sequential use of microbes, enzymes and chemo-catalysts in order to exploit the full potential of the different catalyst systems through a tailor-made combination. The catalysts (microbes, enzymes, chemo-catalysts) and the reaction medium selected for each conversion step are key factors in the development of the respective production methods. The production of the intermediate 2,3-butanediol by combined microbial and enzyme catalysis is compared to the conventional microbial route from glucose in terms of specific energy demand and overall yield, with the conventional route remaining more efficient. In order to be competitive with current 2,3-butanediol production, the key performance indicator, enzyme stability to high aldehyde concentrations, needs to be increased. The target value for the enzyme stability is an acetaldehyde concentration of 600 mM, which is higher than the current maximum concentration (200 mM) by a factor of three.

Challenges and Prospects in the Catalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a crucial C1 building block for daily-life commodities in a wide range of industrial processes. Industrial production of HCHO today is based on energy- and cost-intensive gas-phase catalytic oxidation of methanol, which calls for exploring other and more sustainable ways of carrying out this process. Utilization of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) as precursor presents a promising strategy to simultaneously mitigate the carbon footprint and alleviate environmental issues. This Minireview summarizes recent progress in CO2 -to-HCHO conversion using hydrogenation, hydroboration/hydrosilylation as well as photochemical, electrochemical, photoelectrochemical, and enzymatic approaches. The active species, reaction intermediates, and mechanistic pathways are discussed to deepen the understanding of HCHO selectivity issues. Finally, shortcomings and prospects of the various strategies for sustainable reduction of CO2 to HCHO are discussed.

Green Carbon Science: Efficient Carbon Resource Processing, Utilization, and Recycling Towards Carbon Neutrality

Green carbon science is defined as "Study and optimization of the transformation of carbon containing compounds and the relevant processes involved in the entire carbon cycle from carbon resource processing, carbon energy utilization, and carbon recycling to use carbon resources efficiently and minimize the net CO2 emission." [1] Green carbon science is related closely to carbon neutrality, and the relevant fields have developed quickly in the last decade. In this Minireview, we proposed the concept of carbon energy index, and the recent progresses in petroleum refining, production of liquid fuels, chemicals, and materials using coal, methane, CO2, biomass, and waste plastics are highlighted in combination with green carbon science, and an outlook for these important fields is provided in the final section.

Catalytic Reductive Alcohol Etherifications with Carbonyl-Based Compounds or CO2 and Related Transformations for the Synthesis of Ether Derivatives

Ether derivatives have myriad applications in several areas of chemical industry and academia. Hence, the development of more effective and sustainable protocols for their production is highly desired. Among the different methodologies reported for ether synthesis, catalytic reductive alcohol etherifications with carbonyl-based moieties (aldehydes/ketones and carboxylic acid derivatives) have emerged in the last years as a potential tool. These processes constitute appealing routes for the selective production of both symmetrical and asymmetrical ethers (including O-heterocycles) with an increased molecular complexity. Likewise, ester-to-ether catalytic reductions and hydrogenative alcohol etherifications with CO2 to dialkoxymethanes and other acetals, albeit in less extent, have undergone important advances, too. In this Review, an update of the recent progresses in the area of catalytic reductive alcohol etherifications using carbonyl-based compounds and CO2 have been described with a special focus on organic synthetic applications and catalyst design. Complementarily, recent progress made in catalytic acetal/ketal-to-ether or ester-to-ether reductions and other related transformations have been also summarized.

Molecular Zinc Hydride Cations [ZnH]+ : Synthesis, Structure, and CO2 Hydrosilylation Catalysis

Protonolysis of [ZnH2 ]n with the conjugated Brønsted acid of the bidentate diamine TMEDA (N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethane-1,2-diamine) and TEEDA (N,N,N',N'-tetraethylethane-1,2-diamine) gave the zinc hydride cation [(L2 )ZnH]+ , isolable either as the mononuclear THF adduct [(L2 )ZnH(thf)]+ [BArF 4 ]- (L2 =TMEDA; BArF 4 - =[B(3,5-(CF3 )2 -C6 H3 )4 ]- ) or as the dimer [{(L2 )Zn)}2 (μ-H)2 ]2+ [BArF 4 ]- 2 (L2 =TEEDA). In contrast to [ZnH2 ]n , the cationic zinc hydrides are thermally stable and soluble in THF. [(L2 )ZnH]+ was also shown to form di- and trinuclear adducts of the elusive neutral [(L2 )ZnH2 ]. All hydride-containing cations readily inserted CO2 to give the corresponding formate complexes. [(TMEDA)ZnH]+ [BArF 4 ]- catalyzed the hydrosilylation of CO2 with tertiary hydrosilanes to give stepwise formoxy silane, methyl formate, and methoxy silane. The unexpected formation of methyl formate was shown to result from the zinc-catalyzed transesterification of methoxy silane with formoxy silane, which was eventually converted into methoxy silane as well.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Cyclic and Linear Acetals by the Combined Utilization of CO2 , H2 , and Biomass Derived Diols

Herein a transition-metal catalyst system for the selective synthesis of cyclic and linear acetals from the combined utilization of carbon dioxide, molecular hydrogen, and biomass derived diols is presented. Detailed investigations on the substrate scope enabled the selectivity of the reaction to be largely guided and demonstrated the possibility of integrating a broad variety of substrate molecules. This approach allowed a change between the favored formation of cyclic acetals and linear acetals, originating from the bridging of two diols with a carbon-dioxide based methylene unit. This new synthesis option paves the way to novel fuels, solvents, or polymer building blocks, by the recently established "bio-hybrid" approach of integrating renewable energy, carbon dioxide, and biomass in a direct catalytic transformation.

Molecular catalyst systems as key enablers for tailored polyesters and polycarbonate recycling concepts

A transition metal catalyst system for the selective catalytic depolymerization of various polyester- and polycarbonate-based materials is presented. The use of a molecular ruthenium catalyst with selected triphos ligands enabled a selective hydrogenolysis of a large diversity of polymeric consumer products, paving the way to innovative and sustainable recycling strategies within a circular economy.

Towards a Sustainable Synthesis of Oxymethylene Dimethyl Ether by Homogeneous Catalysis and Uptake of Molecular Formaldehyde

Oxymethylene dimethyl ethers (OME_n ; CH₃ (-OCH₂ -)_n O-CH₃ , n=3-5) are a novel class of sustainable synthetic fuels, which are of increasing interest due to their soot-free combustion. Herein a novel anhydrous OME_n synthesis route is presented. Catalyzed by trimethyloxonium salts, dimethoxymethane takes up monomeric gaseous formaldehyde instantaneously and forms high purity OME_n at temperatures of 25-30 °C. This new anhydrous approach using molecular formaldehyde and catalytic amounts of highly active trimethyloxonium salts represents a promising new step towards a sustainable formation of OME_n emanating from CO₂ and H₂ .

Sustainable Conversion of Carbon Dioxide: An Integrated Review of Catalysis and Life Cycle Assessment

CO₂ conversion covers a wide range of possible application areas from fuels to bulk and commodity chemicals and even to specialty products with biological activity such as pharmaceuticals. In the present review, we discuss selected examples in these areas in a combined analysis of the state-of-the-art of synthetic methodologies and processes with their life cycle assessment. Thereby, we attempted to assess the potential to reduce the environmental footprint in these application fields relative to the current petrochemical value chain. This analysis and discussion differs significantly from a viewpoint on CO₂ utilization as a measure for global CO₂ mitigation. Whereas the latter focuses on reducing the end-of-pipe problem "CO₂ emissions" from todays' industries, the approach taken here tries to identify opportunities by exploiting a novel feedstock that avoids the utilization of fossil resource in transition toward more sustainable future production. Thus, the motivation to develop CO₂-based chemistry does not depend primarily on the absolute amount of CO₂ emissions that can be remediated by a single technology. Rather, CO₂-based chemistry is stimulated by the significance of the relative improvement in carbon balance and other critical factors defining the environmental impact of chemical production in all relevant sectors in accord with the principles of green chemistry.

Betaine Catalysis for Hierarchical Reduction of CO2 with Amines and Hydrosilane To Form Formamides, Aminals, and Methylamines

An efficient, sustainable organocatalyst, glycine betaine, was developed for the reductive functionalization of CO₂ with amines and diphenylsilane. Methylamines and formamides were obtained in high yield by tuning the CO₂ pressure and reaction temperature. Based on identification of the key intermediate, that is, the aminal, an alternative mechanism for methylation involving the C⁰ silyl acetal and aminal is proposed. Furthermore, reducing the CO₂ amount afforded aminals with high yield and selectivity. Therefore, betaine catalysis affords products with a diversified energy content that is, formamides, aminals and methylamines, by hierarchical two-, four- and six-electron reduction, respectively, of CO₂ coupled with C-N bond formation.

Direct Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate from Carbon Dioxide and Methanol at Room Temperature Using Imidazolium Hydrogen Carbonate Ionic Liquid as a Recyclable Catalyst and Dehydrant

The direct synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from CO₂ and CH₃ OH was achieved at room temperature with 74 % CH₃ OH conversion in the presence of an imidazolium hydrogen carbonate ionic liquid ([C_n C_m Im][HCO₃ ]). Experimental and theoretical results reveal that [C_n C_m Im][HCO₃ ] can transform quickly into a CO₂ adduct, which serves as an effective catalyst and dehydrant. Its dehydration ability is reversible. The energy barrier of the rate-determining step for the DMC synthesis is only 21.7 kcal mol^-1 . The ionic liquid can be reused easily without a significant loss of its catalytic and dehydrating ability.