title: Comment on "crystallographic snapshot of an arrested intermediate in the biomimetic activation of CO2 ".
abstract: Out of focus: A recent Communication published in this journal describes the synthesis of [nBu4 N]HCO3 . The authors performed a single-crystal X-ray study that revealed a putative species described as an incipient hydroxide ion engaging in a long, and presumably weak, interaction with CO2 . Our recent exploration of the coordination chemistry of CO2 with small ions leads us to believe that such an exceptional bonding situation is unlikely. Instead, we argue that the crystal structure is that of [nBu4 N]O2 CCH3 and therefore not representative of the bulk powder from the synthesis.
authors.affiliation: The Atlantic Centre for Green Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3C3 (Canada).|University of Jyväskylä, Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä (Finland).
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hurmalainen
authors.affiliation: The Atlantic Centre for Green Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3C3 (Canada).
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Land
authors.affiliation: The Atlantic Centre for Green Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3C3 (Canada).
authors.forename: Katherine N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä (Finland).
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä (Finland).
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä (Finland). heikki.m.tuononen@jyu.fi.
authors.forename: Heikki M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Tuononen
authors.affiliation: The Atlantic Centre for Green Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3C3 (Canada). jason.clyburne@smu.ca.
authors.forename: Jason A C
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Clyburne
mesh_terms: D032701:Biomimetics; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray / Q000379:methods*; D015394:Molecular Structure
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: X-ray crystallography; carbon dioxide; computational chemistry; structure elucidation