Congratulations to our PhD student Elisa Rossi for her recent "Hot Paper" publication entitled "Monomeric gold hydrides for carbon dioxide reduction: ligand effect on reactivity." The study explores the electronic effects of ligands on [LAu(I)H] (L=ligand) hydrides reacting with CO2 to form the formate anion. 20 different ligands, with varied electron properties, are examined through the work, including the only one that experimentally demonstrated reversible reaction with CO2.
The previously unknown reaction mechanism is explained through the paper, revealing a concerted mechanism common to all the ligands. Moreover, it is elucidated that the ligand σ donor ability influences electron density at the reactive site, correlating with kinetic activation barriers. This study provides guidelines for designing ligands and identifies promising candidates for CO2 activation.
The paper is available at the link: https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202303512
