Graphene oxide grafted with iridium complex as a superior heterogeneous catalyst for chemical fixation of carbon dioxide to dimethylformamide

A novel graphene oxide (GO)-immobilized heteroleptic iridium complex was synthesized and demonstrated as a first heterogenized homogeneous catalyst for the production of dimethylformamide (DMF) from carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and dimethylamine. The synthesized hybrid catalyst showed comparable activity as homogeneous heteroleptic iridium complex with additional benefits such as facile recovery and recycling of the catalyst. After completion of the reaction, the heterogeneous catalyst was easily recovered by filtration, and reused for subsequent recycling processes without any significant change in the catalytic efficiency. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.