Electrocatalytic hydrogen production and carbon dioxide conversion by earth abundant transition metal complexes of the Schiff base ligand: (E)-1-((2-dimethylamino)-propylimino)methyl)naphthalene-2-ol

The present work describes an electrocatalytic study for the conversion of carbon dioxide to environmentally benign and industrially important products, as well as the production of hydrogen (green energy) from acids using earth abundant transition metal complexes as catalysts. One cobalt and one nickel complex of the Schiff base ligand (E)-1-((2-(dimethylamino)ethylimino)methyl)naphthalene-2-ol have been used. The cobalt complex (1) has been tested as an electrocatalyst for the reduction of protons in non-aqueous solvent using trifluoro acetic acid (TFA) as a substrate. Complex 1 catalyses the acid reduction at a relatively high potential (−0.7 V) with a turn over frequency of 7.05 s−1 at a 10:1 ratio of the acid to the catalyst. Production of hydrogen gas was detected by gas chromatography. The nickel complex (2) was examined for the electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide. At an applied potential of −2.1 V, the main reduction product is oxalic acid. The acid produced was quantitatively determined by HPLC. The rate of oxalic acid formation is 1.3495 × 10−7 M/min. with a kcat value of 58.03 s−1. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd