D. C. Grills, J. A. Farrington, B. H. Layne, S. V. Lymar, B. A. Mello, J. M. Preses and J. F. Wishart
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136, 5563-5566 (2014).
[Find paper at ACS Publications]
Abstract:
Using a new technique, which combines pulse radiolysis with nanosecond time-resolved infrared (TRIR) spectroscopy in the condensed phase, we have conducted a detailed kinetic and mechanistic investigation of the formation of a Mn-based CO2 reduction electrocatalyst, [Mn(tBu2-bpy)(CO)3]2 (tBu2-bpy = 4,4'-tBu2-2,2'-bipyridine), in acetonitrile. The use of TRIR allowed, for the first time, direct observation of all the intermediates involved in this process. Addition of excess [nBu4N][HCO2] to an acetonitrile solution of fac-MnBr(tBu2-bpy)(CO)3 results in its quantitative conversion to the Mn-formate complex, fac-Mn(OCHO)(tBu2-bpy)(CO)3, which is a precatalyst for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2. Formation of the catalyst is initiated by one-electron reduction of the Mn-formate precatalyst, which produces the bpy ligand-based radical. This radical undergoes extremely rapid (tau = 77 ns) formate dissociation accompanied by a free valence shift to yield the five-coordinate Mn-based radical, Mn•(tBu2-bpy)(CO)3. TRIR data also provide evidence that the Mn-centered radical does not bind acetonitrile prior to its dimerization. This reaction occurs with a characteristically high radical-radical recombination rate (2kdim = (1.3 ±0.1)x109 M-1 s-1), generating the catalytically-active Mn-Mn bound dimer.