Publication 905

Chem. Commun., 56 (46), 6249-6252, 2020 DOI:10.1039/D0CC01930E
A highly active and robust iron quinquepyridine complex for photocatalytic CO2 reduction in aqueous acetonitrile solution

Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Xueyuan Avenue 1066, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China
School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan Cleaner Production Technology Center, Dongguan University of Technology, Guangdong 523808, P. R. China
Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong, China
Université de Paris, Laboratoire d’Electrochimie Moléculaire, CNRS, F-75013 Paris, France
Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), F-75005 Paris, France

The iron(II) complex bearing the 2,2':6',2'':6'',2''':6''',2''''-quinquepyridine (qnpy) ligand, [Fe(qnpy)(H₂O)₂]²⁺, is a highly efficient and robust catalyst for photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to CO in aqueous acetonitrile solution. A turnover number (TON) for CO of up to 14 095 with 98% selectivity can be achieved using Ru(phen)₃Cl₂ (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) as the photosensitizer and BIH (1,3-dimethyl-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole) as the sacrificial reductant in a CO₂-saturated MeCN/H₂O (1 : 1, v/v) solution under visible light irradiation. This Fe complex is state-of-the-art for CO₂ visible-light-driven catalysis.