Carbon nanotube heterogenization improves cobalt pyridyldiimine complex CO2 reduction activity in aqueous carbonate buffer

Abstract

We present two novel cobalt pyridyldiimine complexes functionalized with pyrene. Initially modest in homogeneous acetonitrile solution, their electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction performance significantly improves upon immobilization on MWCNTs in an aqueous carbonate buffer. The complexes exhibit outstanding stability, with CO selectivity exceeding 97%, and TON and TOF values reaching up to 10⁴ and above 1.2 s⁻¹, respectively.