Rapid transfer of hydride ion from a ruthenium complex to C1 species in water

Solvent water (Gutmann acceptor number, AN = 55) accelerates the rate of reaction of Ru(terpy)(bpy)H+ with CO2 by more than 4 orders of magnitude compared to acetonitrile (AN 18.9) (as reported in Inorg. Chim. Acta 2000, 299, 155). Water also promotes the related reductions of carbon monoxide to formaldehyde and of formaldehyde to methanol by the ruthenium(II) hydride complex.