NHC-Catalyzed Conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Methanol

Abstract

An organocatalytic hydro­silylation of carbon dioxide is reported. The authors found that NHCs efficiently catalyze the hydrosilylation of carbon dioxide under mild conditions with catalyst loadings of down to 0.05 mol%. The desired methoxide products, and methanol obtained after hydrolysis, are formed selectively and even dry air could be used as a feedstock. A detailed mechanistic proposal for the reaction and the formation of the methoxide products based on GC-MS and NMR spectroscopy studies is also provided.