Rhenium bipyridine catalysts with hydrogen bonding pendant amines for CO2 reduction

Rhenium tricarbonyl bipyridine complexes modified with pendant secondary and tertiary amines in the 6- and 6 '-positions were synthesized and characterized. Electrocatalytic studies performed under CO2 with 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol display large current densities, corresponding to the reduction of CO2 to CO with moderate faradaic efficiencies (51-73%).