Reducing Complexes for Carbon Dioxide Activation

Rebecca Conry博士，内华达大学化学系，由化学部无机、生物无机和有机金属计划资助，根据研究计划拨款，制备可溶解的铜配合物，作为二氧化碳还原的均相催化剂。三种类型的低价铜配合物，包括铜(I)氢化物，铜(0)配合物，以及铜/锌异双金属体系的还原二氧化碳的能力将被研究。多电子还原途径将是这项工作的主要重点。这些计划活动将通过为完成这项研究计划拨款后准备一份具有竞争力的NSF研究提案提供基础，从而推进康里博士的职业生涯。温室气体二氧化碳的激活很重要，因为它对全球变暖有影响。提出了三种利用铜在各种氧化态和配位环境中催化还原二氧化碳的策略。目前的工业过程涉及到与固体表面的反应，构成了所提出的化合物的基础。铜化合物的反应性将在均相溶液中进行探索，最终目标是将二氧化碳转化为有用的产品。

Dr. Rebecca Conry, Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Program of the Chemistry Division under a Research Planning Grant to prepare soluble copper complexes that will act as homogeneous catalysts for the reduction of carbon dioxide. Three types of low-valent copper complexes including Cu(I) hydrides, Cu(0) complexes, and heterobimetallic copper/zinc systems will be investigated for their ability to reduce carbon dioxide. Multi-electron reduction pathways will be a primary focus of this work. These planning activities will advance Dr. Conry's career by providing a basis for preparing a competitive NSF research proposal subsequent to the completion of this Research Planning Grant. Activation of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is important because of its implications for global warming. Three strategies for catalytically reducing carbon dioxide are proposed which utilize copper in a variety of oxidation states and coordination environments. Current industrial processes which involve reactions with solid surfaces form the basis for the compounds proposed. The reactivity of the copper compounds will be explored in homogeneous solution with the ultimate goal of converting carbon dioxide into useful products.