A Water Soluble Cobalt(II) Complex with 1,10-Phenanthroline, a Catalyst for Visible-Light-Driven Reduction of CO2 to CO with High Selectivity

In the presence of KCN, the reaction of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) with Co (ClO4)2 affords a cobalt(II) complex, [(phen)2Co(CN)2], a co-catalyst for photochemical driven CO2 reduction to CO. Under visible light (λ = 469 nm), together with [Ru(phen)3](PF6)2] as a photosensitizer and triethanolamine (TEOA) as a sacrificial electron donor, [(phen)2Co(CN)2] shows a high selectivity (95%) for the catalytic reduction of CO2 to CO with a turnover number (TON) of 1450 during 10 h irradiation. The photocatalytic mechanism for CO2 reduction by [Co(phen)2(CN)2] is afforded. I hope that these findings can afford a new chemical paradigm for the design of catalysts for CO2 reduction that is highly active and selective. Co(phen)2(CN)2, a catalyst for visible-light-driven driven CO2 reduction to CO with a high selectivity.