CO₂ CLEAVAGE BY METAL-LIGAND COOPERATION AND SUBSEQUENT PHOTOCARBONYLATION OF PBENZENE

Maintaining the carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels balanced in the earth’s ecosystems requires extreme reduction in man-made emissions, but it may also be beneficial to increase CO₂ consumption by the chemical industry. The reduction of CO₂ into fuel sources (such as methanol) is one such method. Fruitful research into the coordination chemistry of CO₂ with transition metals has yielded much insight into possible activation pathways of CO₂ for its useful chemical transformation. The incorporation of CO₂ to the synthesis of complex organic molecules presents another appealing means for carbon dioxide chemical recycling. In this research, a homogenous rhodium-hydride pincer complex is used to probe the possibilities of direct chemical reduction of CO₂ as well as its incorporation as a reagent in useful catalytic reactions. Initial stoichiometric studies have been conducted that showed promise to both these ends.