Lecture

Van Marum Colloquium: Ticking the CO2 clock with molecular control. From fuels to complex molecules

Prof. Marc Robert (Sorbonne Université)

Date: Thursday 17 April 2025
Time: 09:15 - 10:15
Location: Gorlaeus Building
Einsteinweg 55
2333 CC Leiden
Room: BW.0.39

Abstract

Reduction of carbon dioxide has as main objective the production of useful chemicals and fuels - renewable fuels - in which solar energy would be stored. Molecular catalysts can be employed to reach this goal, either in photochemical or electrochemical (or combined) contexts. They may in particular provide excellent selectivity thanks to easy tuning of the electronic properties at the metal and of the ligand second and third coordination sphere. Based on thorough mechanistic studies, we have shown that such molecular catalysts may be tuned for generating all C1 products, including formaldehyde, methanol and methane,^1-5 but also C2+ products⁶ and more complex molecules.^7,8 Our recent results will be discussed, using earth abundant metal (Fe, Co) porphyrins and phthalocyanines as well as related complexes as catalysts, being dispersed in solution or assembled at (semi)conductive materials.

References

J. Bonin, M. Robert et al. Nature 2017, 548, 74
C. Berlinguette, M. Robert et al. Science 2019, 365, 367
T. F. Jaramillo, M. Robert et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 16172
M. Robert, B. Liu et al. Nat. Commun. 2023, 14, 3401
M. Robert et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 22129
M. Robert, M. Abdinejad, T. Burdyny et al., Nat. Catal. 2024, 7, 1109
S. Zhao, M. Robert et al., submitted
M. Robert et al., in preparation