Hydrogenation of CO2 to formates on ruthenium(III) coordinated on melamine polymer network

Catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to formic acid is considered as a crucial transformation in regards to alleviating the harmful impacts of global warming and completing the carbon cycle. In this respect, a novel heterogeneous Ru (III) catalyst is prepared by the immobilization of RuCl(3 center dot)xH(2)O onto a melamine polymer-network (MPN). MPN is employed based on its abundant nitrogen functional groups which can stabilize the ruthenium species by complex formation, which is confirmed by characterization results. Influence of reaction parameters on the catalyst activity is investigated and a high turnover frequency of 4964h(-1) is observed. This high activity of the catalyst is attributed to the stabilization of Ru(III). The basic nitrogen groups of the MPN support, electron donating basic sites, can play a role in stabilizing the active ruthenium (III) species. These results indicate the high potential of melamine-based polymers to be applied as catalyst support materials in the CO2 hydrogenation reaction.