Local ionic liquid environment at a modified iron porphyrin catalyst enhances the electrocatalytic performance of CO2 to CO reduction in water.

In this study we report a strategy to attach methylimidazolium fragments as ionic liquid units on an established iron porphyrin catalyst for the selective reduction of CO2 to CO. Importantly, we found that the tetra-methylimidazolium containing porphyrin exhibits an exalted electrocatalytic activity at low overpotential in water precluding the need for an external proton donor.