Schottky Junction and D-A1 -A2 System Dual Regulation of Covalent Triazine Frameworks for Highly Efficient CO2 Photoreduction.

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are emerging as a promising molecular platform for photocatalysis. Nevertheless, the construction of highly effective charge transfer pathways in CTFs for oriented delivery of photoexcited electrons to enhance photocatalytic performance remains highly challenging. Herein, a molecular engineering strategy is presented to achieve highly efficient charge separation and transport in both the lateral and vertical directions for solar-to-formate conversion. Specifically, a large π-delocalized and π-stacked Schottky junction (Ru-Th-CTF/RGO) that synergistically knits a rebuilt extended π-delocalized network of the D-A1 -A2 system (multiple donor or acceptor units, Ru-Th-CTF) with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is developed. It is verified that the single-site Ru units in Ru-Th-CTF/RGO act as effective secondary electron acceptors in the lateral direction for multistage charge separation/transport. Simultaneously, the π-stacked and covalently bonded graphene is regarded as a hole extraction layer, accelerating the separation/transport of the photogenerated charges in the vertical direction over the Ru-Th-CTF/RGO Schottky junction with full use of photogenerated electrons for the reduction reaction. Thus, the obtained photocatalyst has an excellent CO2 -to-formate conversion rate (≈11050 µmol g-1 h-1 ) and selectivity (≈99%), producing a state-of-the-art catalyst for the heterogeneous conversion of CO2 to formate without an extra photosensitizer.

An Aqueous Redox Flow Battery Using CO2 as an Active Material with a Homogeneous Ir Catalyst.

For the application of CO2 as an energy storage material, a H2 storage system has been proposed based on the interconversion of CO2 and formic acid (or formate). However, energy losses are inevitable in the conversion of electrical energy to H2 as chemical energy (≈70 % electrical efficiency) and H2 to electrical energy (≈40 % electrical efficiency). To overcome these significant energy losses, we developed a system based on the interconversion of CO2 and formate for the direct storage and generation of electricity. In this paper, we report an aqueous redox flow battery system using homogeneous Ir catalysts with CO2 -formate redox pair. The system exhibited a maximum discharge capacity of 10.5 mAh (1.5 Ah L-1 ), capacity decay of 0.2 % per cycle, and total turnover number of 2550 after 50 cycles. During charging-discharging, in situ fluorescence X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy based on an online setup indicated that the active species was in a high valence state of IrIV .

Recent Progress in Homogeneous Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid.

Recently, there has been a strong demand for technologies that use hydrogen as an energy carrier, instead of fossil fuels. Hence, new and effective hydrogen storage technologies are attracting increasing attention. Formic acid (FA) is considered an effective liquid chemical for hydrogen storage because it is easier to handle than solid or gaseous materials. This review presents recent advances in research into the development of homogeneous catalysts, primarily focusing on hydrogen generation by FA dehydrogenation. Notably, this review will aid in the development of useful catalysts, thereby accelerating the transition to a hydrogen-based society.

Manganese-Catalyzed Ammonia Oxidation into Dinitrogen under Chemical or Electrochemical Conditions*.

Earth-abundant metal-catalyzed oxidative conversion of ammonia into dinitrogen is a promising process to utilize ammonia as a transportation fuel. Herein, we report the manganese-catalyzed ammonia oxidation under chemical or electrochemical conditions using a manganese complex bearing (1S,2S)-N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine. Under chemical conditions using oxidant, up to 17.1 equivalents of N2 per catalyst are generated. Also, mechanistic studies by stoichiometric reactions reveal that a nucleophilic attack of ammonia on manganese nitrogenous species occurs to form a nitrogen-nitrogen bond leading to dinitrogen. Moreover, we conduct density functional theory (DFT) calculations to confirm the plausible reaction mechanism. In addition, this reaction system is applicable under electrochemical conditions. The catalytic reaction proceeds with 96 % faradaic efficiency (FE) in bulk electrolysis to give up to 6.56 equivalents of N2 per catalyst.

Catalytic Hydrogenation of CO2 to Methanol Using Multinuclear Iridium Complexes in a Gas-Solid Phase Reaction.

We report a novel approach toward the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol performed in the gas-solid phase using multinuclear iridium complexes at low temperature (30-80 °C). Although homogeneous CO2 hydrogenation in water catalyzed by amide-based iridium catalysts provided only a negligible amount of methanol, the combination of a multinuclear catalyst and gas-solid phase reaction conditions led to the effective production of methanol from CO2. The catalytic activities of the multinuclear catalyst were dependent on the relative configuration of each active species. Conveniently, methanol obtained from the gas phase could be easily isolated from the catalyst without contamination with CO, CH4, or formic acid (FA). The catalyst can be recycled in a batchwise manner via gas release and filling. A final turnover number of 113 was obtained upon reusing the catalyst at 60 °C and 4 MPa of H2/CO2 (3:1). The high reactivity of this system has been attributed to hydride complex formation upon exposure to H2 gas, suppression of the liberation of FA under gas-solid phase reaction conditions, and intramolecular multiple hydride transfer to CO2 by the multinuclear catalyst.

Cooperative Effects of Heterodinuclear IrIII-MII Complexes on Catalytic H2 Evolution from Formic Acid Dehydrogenation in Water.

Novel heterodinuclear IrIII-MII complexes (M = Co, Ni, or Cu) with two adjacent reaction sites were synthesized by using 3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-pyrazole (Hbpp) as a structure-directing ligand and employed as catalysts for H2 evolution through formic acid dehydrogenation in water. A cooperative effect of the hetero-metal centers was observed in the H2 evolution in comparison with the corresponding mononuclear IrIII and MII complexes as the components of the IrIII-MII complexes. The H2 evolution rate for the IrIII-MII complexes was at most 350-fold higher than that of the mononuclear IrIII complex. The catalytic activity increased in the following order: IrIII-CuII complex < IrIII-CoII complex < IrIII-NiII complex . The IrIII-H intermediates of the IrIII-MII complexes were successfully detected by ultraviolet-visible, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, and ESI-TOF-MS spectra. The catalytic enhancement of H2 evolution by the IrIII-MII complexes indicates that the IrIII-H species formed in the IrIII moiety act as reactive species and the MII moieties act as acceleration sites by the electronic effect from the MII center to the IrIII center through the bridging bpp- ligand. The IrIII-MII complexes may also activate H2O at the 3d MII centers as a proton source to facilitate H2 evolution. In addition, the affinity of formate for the IrIII-MII complexes was investigated on the basis of Michaelis-Menten plots; the IrIII-CoII and IrIII-NiII complexes exhibited affinities that were relatively higher than that of the IrIII-CuII complex. The catalytic mechanism of H2 evolution by the IrIII-MII complexes was revealed on the basis of spectroscopic detection of reaction intermediates, kinetic analysis, and isotope labeling experiments.

Synergistic Effect of Pendant N Moieties for Proton Shuttling in the Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid Catalyzed by Biomimetic IrIII Complexes.

Formic acid (FA) is among the most promising hydrogen storage materials. The development of efficient catalysts for the dehydrogenation of FA via molecular-level control and precise tuning remains challenging. A series of biomimetic Ir complexes was developed for the efficient dehydrogenation of FA in an aqueous solution without base addition. A high turnover frequency of 46510 h-1 was achieved at 90 °C in 1 m FA solution with complex 1 bearing pendant pyridine. Experimental and mechanistic studies revealed that the integrated pendant pyridine and pyrazole moieties of complex 1 could act as proton relay and facilitate proton shuttling in the outer coordination sphere. This study provides a new strategy to control proton transfer accurately and a new principle for the design of efficient catalysts for FA dehydrogenation.

Ligand Design for Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid to Produce High-pressure Hydrogen Gas under Base-free Conditions.

A series of Cp*Ir (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl anion) complexes with amino-functionalized ligands were developed for the production of high-pressure H2 via catalytic dehydrogenation of formic acid (DFA) in water under base-free conditions. The Ir complexes with 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) ligands bearing amino or alkylamino groups at the para positions exhibited high activity and stability for DFA compared with complexes containing bpy ligands bearing para-hydroxyl groups. In addition, para-amino groups afforded superior catalytic stability under high-pressure conditions compared with ortho-amino groups. By exploiting these amino-functionalized Cp*Ir complexes, it was possible to continuously produce high-pressure CO-free H2 via selective DFA in water upon the addition of concentrated FA (>99.5 wt %) to the base-free solution. Systematic investigation of the ligand effects on DFA revealed that the presence of alkylamino groups on the bpy ligand enhanced the catalytic activity (initial turnover frequency, TOF), although the stability decreased with increasing alkyl chain length on the amino groups. According to a Hammett plot, the increased catalytic activity of the Ir complexes after the introduction of amino-functionalized ligands may be attributable to the electron-donating effect of para-amino groups on the bpy ligand. Based on the experimental results, a reaction mechanism is proposed that involves a hydride intermediate whose stability is affected by the position of the amino groups on the bpy ligand, as confirmed through NMR studies.

Ligand Effect on the Stability of Water-Soluble Iridium Catalysts for High-Pressure Hydrogen Gas Production by Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid.

Aiming to develop a highly effective and durable catalyst for high-pressure H2 production from dehydrogenation of formic acid (DFA), the ligand effect on the catalytic activity and stability of Cp*Ir (Cp*:pentamethylcyclopentadienyl anion) complexes were investigated using 5 different kinds of N,N'-bidentate ligands (bipyridine, biimidazoline, pyridyl-imidazoline, pyridyl-pyrazole and picolinamide). The Ir complex with biimidazoline ligand exhibited the highest catalytic activity, but deactivation occurred readily at high pressure. The pyridine moiety in the ligand can enhance the stability of Ir complex catalysts for the high-pressure reaction. The Ir complex catalyst containing pyridyl-imidazoline ligand showed the high activity and best stability under the high-pressure conditions.

Picolinamide-Based Iridium Catalysts for Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid in Water: Effect of Amide N Substituent on Activity and Stability.

To develop highly efficient catalysts for dehydrogenation of formic acid in water, we investigated several Cp*Ir catalysts with various amide ligands. The catalyst with an N-phenylpicolinamide ligand exhibited a TOF of 118 000 h-1 at 60 °C. A constant rate (TOF>35 000 h-1 ) was maintained for six hours, and a TON of 1 000 000 was achieved at 50 °C.

Iridium Complexes with Proton-Responsive Azole-Type Ligands as Effective Catalysts for CO2 Hydrogenation.

Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl iridium (Cp*Ir) complexes with bidentate ligands consisting of a pyridine ring and an electron-rich diazole ring were prepared. Their catalytic activity toward CO2 hydrogenation in 2.0 m KHCO3 aqueous solutions (pH 8.5) at 50 °C, under 1.0 MPa CO2 /H2 (1:1) have been reported as an alternative to photo- and electrochemical CO2 reduction. Bidentate ligands incorporating an electron-rich diazole ring improved the catalytic performance of the Ir complexes compared to the bipyridine ligand. Complexes 2, 4, and 6, possessing both a hydroxy group and an uncoordinated NH group, which are proton-responsive and capable of generating pendent bases in basic media, recorded high initial turnover frequency values of 1300, 1550, and 2000 h-1 , respectively. Spectroscopic and computational investigations revealed that the reversible deprotonation changes the electronic properties of the complexes and causes interactions between pendent base and substrate and/or solvent water molecules, resulting in high catalytic performance in basic media.

Effect of the ortho-Hydroxyl Groups on a Bipyridine Ligand of Iridium Complexes for the High-Pressure Gas Generation from the Catalytic Decomposition of Formic Acid.

The hydroxyl groups of a 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) ligand near the metal center activated the catalytic performance of the Ir complex for the dehydrogenation of formic acid at high pressure. The position of the hydroxyl groups on the ligand affected the catalytic durability for the high-pressure H2 generation through the decomposition of formic acid. The Ir complex with a bipyridine ligand functionalized with para-hydroxyl groups shows a good durability with a constant catalytic activity during the reaction even under high-pressure conditions, whereas deactivation was observed for an Ir complex with a bipyridine ligand with ortho-hydroxyl groups (2). In the presence of high-pressure H2 , complex 2 decomposed into the ligand and an Ir trihydride complex through the isomerization of the bpy ligand. This work provides the development of a durable catalyst for the high-pressure H2 production from formic acid.

Kinetic Studies on Formic Acid Dehydrogenation Catalyzed by an Iridium Complex towards Insights into the Catalytic Mechanism of High-Pressure Hydrogen Gas Production.

Kinetic studies on the catalytic reaction mechanism of formic acid (FA) dehydrogenation were performed in the presence of a water-soluble iridium complex bearing a 4,4'-dihydroxy-2,2'-bipyridine ligand. Determination of kinetic isotope effects revealed that a shift of the rate-limiting step at low and high concentrations of FA can be caused by the pH dependence of the reaction steps. The proposed equation for the reaction rate corresponds well with the experimental results concerning the shift phenomena. Towards industrial application in future hydrogen fueling stations, this will able the design of a dehydrogenation system catalyzed by the iridium complex.

Development of Proton-Responsive Catalysts.

A changeable ligand, which involves in activation of a catalyst or assists a reaction, draws an increasing attention, in contrast to a classical ligand as spectator. Proton-responsive catalysts, which are capable of undergoing changes of properties on gaining/losing one or more protons, provides interesting features as follows: (i) catalyst activation by electronic effect, (ii) pH-tuning of water-solubility, and (iii) second-coordination-sphere interaction. On the basis of this catalyst design concept, we developed several highly efficient proton-responsive catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation as H2 storage, formic acid (FA) dehydrogenation as H2 production, and transfer hydrogenation. The transformable ligands of proton-responsive catalysts in promoting effective catalysis have aroused our interest. In this account, we summarize our efforts for the development and application of proton-responsive catalysts. Specifically, the important role of pH-dependent proton-responsive complexes will be discussed.

Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid Catalyzed by a Ruthenium Complex with an N,N'-Diimine Ligand.

We report a ruthenium complex containing an N,N'-diimine ligand for the selective decomposition of formic acid to H2 and CO2 in water in the absence of any organic additives. A turnover frequency of 12 000 h-1 and a turnover number of 350 000 at 90 °C were achieved in the HCOOH/HCOONa aqueous solution. Efficient production of high-pressure H2 and CO2 (24.0 MPa (3480 psi)) was achieved through the decomposition of formic acid with no formation of CO. Mechanistic studies by NMR and DFT calculations indicate that there may be two competitive pathways for the key hydride transfer rate-determining step in the catalytic process.

Efficient Hydrogen Storage and Production Using a Catalyst with an Imidazoline-Based, Proton-Responsive Ligand.

A series of new imidazoline-based iridium complexes has been developed for hydrogenation of CO2 and dehydrogenation of formic acid. One of the proton-responsive complexes bearing two -OH groups at ortho and para positions on a coordinating pyridine ring (3 b) can catalyze efficiently the chemical fixation of CO2 and release H2 under mild conditions in aqueous media without using organic additives/solvents. Notably, hydrogenation of CO2 can be efficiently carried out under CO2 and H2 at atmospheric pressure in basic water by 3 b, achieving a turnover frequency of 106 h-1 and a turnover number of 7280 at 25 °C, which are higher than ever reported. Moreover, highly efficient CO-free hydrogen production from formic acid in aqueous solution employing the same catalyst under mild conditions has been achieved, thus providing a promising potential H2 -storage system in water.

Carbon Dioxide to Methanol: The Aqueous Catalytic Way at Room Temperature.

Carbon dioxide may constitute a source of chemicals and fuels if efficient and renewable processes are developed that directly utilize it as feedstock. Two of its reduction products are formic acid and methanol, which have also been proposed as liquid organic chemical carriers in sustainable hydrogen storage. Here we report that both the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to formic acid and the disproportionation of formic acid into methanol can be realized at ambient temperature and in aqueous, acidic solution, with an iridium catalyst. The formic acid yield is maximized in water without additives, while acidification results in complete (98 %) and selective (96 %) formic acid disproportionation into methanol. These promising features in combination with the low reaction temperatures and the absence of organic solvents and additives are relevant for a sustainable hydrogen/methanol economy.

Development of an Iridium-Based Catalyst for High-Pressure Evolution of Hydrogen from Formic Acid.

A highly efficient and recyclable Ir catalyst bearing a 4,7-dihydroxy-1,10-phenanthroline ligand was developed for the evolution of high-pressure H2 gas (>100 MPa), and a large amount of atmospheric pressure H2 gas (>120 L), over a long term (3.5 months). The reaction proceeds through the dehydrogenation of highly concentrated aqueous formic acid (FA, 40 vol %, 10 mol L-1 ) at 80 °C using 1 µmol of catalyst, and a turnover number (TON) of 5 000 000 was calculated. The Ir catalyst precipitated after the reaction owing to its pH-dependent solubility in water, and 94 mol % was recovered by filtration. Thus, it can be treated and recycled like a heterogeneous catalyst. The catalyst was successfully recycled over 10 times for highpressure FA dehydrogenation at 22 MPa without any treatment or purification.

Noninnocent Proton-Responsive Ligand Facilitates Reductive Deprotonation and Hinders CO2 Reduction Catalysis in [Ru(tpy)(6DHBP)(NCCH3)](2+) (6DHBP = 6,6'-(OH)2bpy).

Ruthenium complexes with proton-responsive ligands [Ru(tpy)(nDHBP)(NCCH3)](CF3SO3)2 (tpy = 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine; nDHBP = n,n'-dihydroxy-2,2'-bipyridine, n = 4 or 6) were examined for reductive chemistry and as catalysts for CO2 reduction. Electrochemical reduction of [Ru(tpy)(nDHBP)(NCCH3)](2+) generates deprotonated species through interligand electron transfer in which the initially formed tpy radical anion reacts with a proton source to produce singly and doubly deprotonated complexes that are identical to those obtained by base titration. A third reduction (i.e., reduction of [Ru(tpy)(nDHBP-2H(+))](0)) triggers catalysis of CO2 reduction; however, the catalytic efficiency is strikingly lower than that of unsubstituted [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(NCCH3)](2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine). Cyclic voltammetry, bulk electrolysis, and spectroelectrochemical infrared experiments suggest the reactivity of CO2 at both the Ru center and the deprotonated quinone-type ligand. The Ru carbonyl formed by the intermediacy of a metallocarboxylic acid is stable against reduction, and mass spectrometry analysis of this product indicates the presence of two carbonates formed by the reaction of DHBP-2H(+) with CO2.