title: Carbon Dioxide to Methanol: The Aqueous Catalytic Way at Room Temperature.
abstract: Carbon dioxide may constitute a source of chemicals and fuels if efficient and renewable processes are developed that directly utilize it as feedstock. Two of its reduction products are formic acid and methanol, which have also been proposed as liquid organic chemical carriers in sustainable hydrogen storage. Here we report that both the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to formic acid and the disproportionation of formic acid into methanol can be realized at ambient temperature and in aqueous, acidic solution, with an iridium catalyst. The formic acid yield is maximized in water without additives, while acidification results in complete (98 %) and selective (96 %) formic acid disproportionation into methanol. These promising features in combination with the low reaction temperatures and the absence of organic solvents and additives are relevant for a sustainable hydrogen/methanol economy.
authors: Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Avenue Forel 2, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Katerina
authors: K
authors: Sordakis
authors: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8565, Japan.
authors: Akihiro
authors: A
authors: Tsurusaki
authors: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 4-2-1 Nigatake, Miyagino, Sendai, Miyagi, 983-8551, Japan.
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Iguchi
authors: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 4-2-1 Nigatake, Miyagino, Sendai, Miyagi, 983-8551, Japan.
authors: Hajime
authors: H
authors: Kawanami
authors: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8565, Japan. himeda.y@aist.go.jp.
authors: Yuichiro
authors: Y
authors: Himeda
authors: Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Avenue Forel 2, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. gabor.laurenczy@epfl.ch.
authors: Gábor
authors: G
authors: Laurenczy
keywords: carbon dioxide; formic acid; homogeneous; hydrogenation; methanol