Conversion of carbon monoxide into methanol at room temperature and atmospheric pressure

Abstract

It has been found that CO can be converted selectively into methanol using Everitt's salt (ES) in the presence of pentacyanoferrate(II) and methanol. The formation of methanol was confirmed from isotope distributions analysed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The reduction of CO into methanol is brought about by the oxidation of ES to the Prussian blue (PB). This redox reaction, however, needs to be activated by homogeneous catalysts consisting of hexacyanoferrate(II) and methanol. The conversion continues to proceed with the consumption of proton in solution under controlled potential conditions such that PB is reduced to ES.