Homogeneous hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to methanol

Abstract

Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas mainly from the consumption of fossil fuel, is regarded as an attractive feedstock in view of synthetic chemistry. Great efforts have been devoted to developing catalytic processes for converting CO₂ into value-added compounds with reduced carbon footprint. Among versatile applications in organic synthesis, CO₂ can serve as a promising raw material for fuel production, especially methanol. ‘Coming from fuel and returning to fuel’ is an appealing objective in terms of sustainable development associated with circumventing the energy shortage and CO₂ issue. To date, metal complexes and organocatalysts for CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol have been developed along with the reaction mechanistic insight. Understanding the interaction of active catalytic species with CO₂ or hydrogen could account for development of efficient homogeneous catalysts. In this context, homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of CO₂ and its derivatives into methanol is highlighted in this article in combination with mechanistic understanding on a molecular level.