Chemospecific cobalt-catalyzed hydroboration of CO2

Abstract

A bifunctional cobalt pyridonate complex effectively catalyzes the hydroboration of CO₂ to the boryl formate at very mild conditions (0.1–1 mol% cat., 1 bar CO₂, r.t., 5 min, 100% yield, TON 1000, TOF 12 000 h⁻¹). At higher temperature, clean conversion to the methoxyborane was achieved (98% yield). Mechanistic studies indicate formation of a ligand-derived cobalt hydride species.