Title: Mediated Inner‐Sphere Electron Transfer Induces Homogeneous Reduction of CO 2 via Through‐Space Electronic Conjugation**

Journal Article · · Angewandte Chemie

Abstract The electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 is an appealing method for converting renewable energy sources into value‐added chemical feedstocks. We report a co‐electrocatalytic system for the reduction of CO 2 to CO comprised of a molecular Cr complex and dibenzothiophene‐5,5‐dioxide (DBTD) as a redox mediator, which achieves high activity (TOF=1.51–2.84×10 5  s −1 ) and quantitative selectivity. Under aprotic or protic conditions, DBTD produces a co‐electrocatalytic response with 1 by coordinating trans to the site of CO 2 binding and mediating electron transfer from the electrode with quantitative efficiency for CO. This assembly is reliant on through‐space electronic conjugation between the π frameworks of DBTD and the bpy fragment of the catalyst ligand, with contributions from dispersive interactions and weak sulfone coordination.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0022219
OSTI ID:
1829755
Journal Information:
Angewandte Chemie, Journal Name: Angewandte Chemie Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 134; ISSN 0044-8249
Publisher:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
Germany
Language:
English

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