Direction to practical production of hydrogen by formic acid dehydrogenation with Cp*Ir complexes bearing imidazoline ligands

A Cp*Ir complex with a bidentate pyridyl-imidazoline ligand achieved the evolution of 1.02 m(3) of H-2/CO2 gases by formic acid dehydrogenation without any additives or adjustments in the solution system. The pyridyl-imidazoline moieties provided the optimum pH to be 1.7, resulting in high activity and stability even at very acidic conditions.