1,2-Azolylamidino ruthenium(ii) complexes with DMSO ligands: electro- and photocatalysts for CO2 reduction

Abstract

New 1,2-azolylamidino complexes fac-[RuCl(DMSO)3(NHvC(R)az*-κ2 N,N)]OTf [R = Me (2), Ph (3); az* = pz (pyrazolyl, a), indz (indazolyl, b)] are synthesized via chloride abstraction from their corresponding precursors cis,fac-[RuCl2(DMSO)3(az*H)] (1) after subsequent base-catalyzed coupling of the appropriate nitrile with the 1,2-azole previously coordinated. All the compounds are characterized by 1 H NMR, 13C NMR and IR spectroscopy. Those derived from MeCN are also characterized by X-ray diffraction. Electrochemical studies showed several reduction waves in the range of −1.5 to −3 V. The electrochemical behavior in CO2 media is consistent with CO2 electrocatalytic reduction. The catalytic activity expressed as [icat(CO2)/ip(Ar)] ranged from 1.7 to 3.7 for the 1,2-azolylamidino complexes at voltages of ca. −2.7 to −3 V vs. ferrocene/ferrocenium. Controlled potential electrolysis showed rapid decomposition of the Ru catalysts. Photocatalytic CO2 reduction experiments using compounds 1b, 2b and 3b carried out in a CO2-saturated MeCN/TEOA (4 : 1 v/v) solution containing a mixture of the catalyst and [Ru (bipy)3] 2+ as the photosensitizer under continuous irradiation (light intensity of 150 mW cm−2 at 25 °C, λ >300 nm) show that compounds 1b, 2b and 3b allowed CO2 reduction catalysis, producing CO and trace amounts of formate. The combined turnover number for the production of formate and CO is ca. 100 after 8 h and follows the order 1b < 2b ≈ 3b.