Discovery of low energy pathways to metal-mediated B[double bond, length as m-dash]N bond reduction guided by computation and experiment

Homogeneous Catalysis for Sustainable Energy: Hydrogen and Methanol Economies, Fuels from Biomass, and Related Topics

As the world pledges to significantly cut carbon emissions, the demand for sustainable and clean energy has now become more important than ever. This includes both production and storage of energy carriers, a majority of which involve catalytic reactions. This article reviews recent developments of homogeneous catalysts in emerging applications of sustainable energy. The most important focus has been on hydrogen storage as several efficient homogeneous catalysts have been reported recently for (de)hydrogenative transformations promising to the hydrogen economy. Another direction that has been extensively covered in this review is that of the methanol economy. Homogeneous catalysts investigated for the production of methanol from CO2, CO, and HCOOH have been discussed in detail. Moreover, catalytic processes for the production of conventional fuels (higher alkanes such as diesel, wax) from biomass or lower alkanes have also been discussed. A section has also been dedicated to the production of ethylene glycol from CO and H2 using homogeneous catalysts. Well-defined transition metal complexes, in particular, pincer complexes, have been discussed in more detail due to their high activity and well-studied mechanisms.

CO2 reduction with protons and electrons at a boron-based reaction center

Borohydrides are widely used reducing agents in chemical synthesis and have emerging energy applications as hydrogen storage materials and reagents for the reduction of CO2. Unfortunately, the high energy cost associated with the multistep preparation of borohydrides starting from alkali metals precludes large scale implementation of these latter uses. One potential solution to this issue is the direct synthesis of borohydrides from the protonation of reduced boron compounds. We herein report reactions of the redox series [Au(B2P2)] n (n = +1, 0, -1) (B2P2, 9,10-bis(2-(diisopropylphosphino)phenyl)-9,10-dihydroboranthrene) and their conversion into corresponding mono- and diborohydride complexes. Crucially, the monoborohydride can be accessed via protonation of [Au(B2P2)]-, a masked borane dianion equivalent accessible at relatively mild potentials (-2.05 V vs. Fc/Fc+). This species reduces CO2 to produce the corresponding formate complex. Cleavage of the formate complex can be achieved by reduction (ca. -1.7 V vs. Fc/Fc+) or by the addition of electrophiles including H+. Additionally, direct reaction of [Au(B2P2)]- with CO2 results in reductive disproportion to release CO and generate a carbonate complex. Together, these reactions constitute a synthetic cycle for CO2 reduction at a boron-based reaction center that proceeds through a B-H unit generated via protonation of a reduced borane with weak organic acids.

Investigation of main group promoted carbon dioxide reduction

The reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is of interest to the chemical industry, as many synthetic materials can be derived from CO₂. To help determine the reagents needed for the functionalization of carbon dioxide this experimental and computational study describes the reduction of CO₂ to formate and CO with hydride, electron, and proton sources in the presence of sterically bulky Lewis acids and bases. The insertion of carbon dioxide into a main group hydride, generating a main group formate, was computed to be more thermodynamically favorable for more hydridic (reducing) main group hydrides. A ten kcal/mol increase in hydricity (more reducing) of a main group hydride resulted in a 35% increase in the main group hydride's ability to insert CO₂ into the main group hydride bond. The resulting main group formate exhibited a hydricity (reducing ability) about 10% less than the respective main group hydride prior to CO₂ insertion. Coordination of a second identical Lewis acid to a main group formate complex further reduced the hydricity by about another 20%. The addition of electrons to the CO adduct of ^t Bu₃P and B(C₆F₅)₃ resulted in converting the sequestered CO₂ molecule to CO. Reduction of the CO₂ adduct of ^t Bu₃P and B(C₆F₅)₃ with both electrons and protons resulted in only proton reduction.

Dehydrogenation of ammonia borane through the third equivalent of hydrogen

Ammonia borane (AB) has high hydrogen density (19.6 wt%), and can, in principle, release up to 3 equivalents of H2 under mild catalytic conditions. A limited number of catalysts are capable of non-hydrolytic dehydrogenation of AB beyond 2 equivalents of H2 under mild conditions, but none of these is shown directly to derivatise borazine, the product formed after 2 equivalents of H2 are released. We present here a high productivity ruthenium-based catalyst for non-hydrolytic AB dehydrogenation that is capable of borazine dehydrogenation, and thus exhibits among the highest H2 productivity reported to date for anhydrous AB dehydrogenation. At 1 mol% loading, (phen)Ru(OAc)2(CO)2 () effects AB dehydrogenation through 2.7 equivalents of H2 at 70 °C, is robust through multiple charges of AB, and is water and air stable. We further demonstrate that catalyst has the ability both to dehydrogenate borazine in isolation and dehydrogenate AB itself. This is important, both because borazine derivatisation is productivity-limiting in AB dehydrogenation and because borazine is a fuel cell poison that is commonly released in H2 production from this medium.