Photochemical fixation of carbon dioxide for N-formylation of amine using Cu(II) embedded BiVO4 nanocomposite under visible light

N-Formylation reactions of amines with carbon dioxide (CO2) are gaining tremendous importance in the chemical fixation of CO2 to high-value chemicals. However, the methods reported so far either use homogeneous transition metal-based catalysts or higher reaction temperatures. The use of visible light under the mild experimental condition for the N-formylation of amines with CO2 is a promising approach yet less explored. The present paper describes an efficient methodology for the N-formylation of various aliphatic and aromatic amines with CO2 using a heterostructured CuO/BiVO4 catalyst under visible illumination. The incorporation of CuO as a p-type semiconductor enhanced the transfer of electrons in excess at the surface of BiVO4 semiconductor and afforded the highest 85 % conversion of aniline to formanilide. The heterostructured photocatalyst was found to be robust without any detectable leaching even after the seventh recycling run.

Automated summary

A new method for N-formylation of amines with CO2 using a CuO/BiVO4 catalyst under visible light has been developed, achieving a high conversion rate of 85% and demonstrating good cycling stability.