Capture of CO2 by a Cationic Nickel(I) Complex in the Gas Phase and Characterization of the Bound, Activated CO2 Molecule by Cryogenic Ion Vibrational Predissociation Spectroscopy

We describe a systematic method for the preparation and spectroscopic characterization of a CO2 molecule coordinated to an activated bisphenoidal nickel(I) compound containing a tetraazamacrocyclic ligand in the gas phase. The resulting complex was then structurally characterized by using mass-selected vibrational predissociation spectroscopy. The results indicate that a highly distorted CO2 molecule is bound to the metal center in an η(2)-C,O coordination mode, thus establishing an efficient and rational method for the preparation of metal-activated CO2 for further studies using ion chemistry techniques.