Ghoshal Sourav, Sarkar Pranab
Department of Chemistry, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, 731235.
Chemphyschem. 2024 Aug 19;25(16):e202400425. doi: 10.1002/cphc.202400425. Epub 2024 Jun 27.
Using the state of the art theoretical methods, we have provided a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of the CO hydrogenation into HCOOH, HCO, and CHOH by 2,6-bis(diisopropylphosphinomethyl)pyridine (PNP)-ligated Fe pincer complex, featuring one CO and two H as co-ligands. For the computational investigation, a verified structural model containing methyl groups in place of the experimental isopropyl groups was used. Three catalytic conversions involving hydrogenation of CO into formic acid (HCOOH), HCOOH into formaldehyde and methanol were studied in different solvent medium. Our modelled complex appears to be a viable base-free catalyst for the conversion of CO into HCOOH and HCOOH into HCO, based on the free energy profiles, which show apparent activation energy barriers of 16.28 kcal/mol and 23.63 kcal/mol for the CO to HCOOH and HCOOH to HCO conversion, respectively. However, the computed results show that, due to the huge energy span of HCO to CHOH conversion, complete hydrogenation of CO into methanol could not occur under moderate conditions. Morpholine co-catalyst, which can lower the hydrogenation barrier by taking part in a simultaneous H-atom donation-acceptance process, could have assisted in completing this step.
运用最先进的理论方法,我们对2,6-双(二异丙基膦甲基)吡啶(PNP)配位的铁钳形配合物将CO氢化为HCOOH、HCO和CHOH的过程进行了全面的机理理解,该配合物以一个CO和两个H作为共配体。在计算研究中,使用了一个经过验证的结构模型,其中用甲基取代了实验中的异丙基。在不同的溶剂介质中研究了三个催化转化过程,包括将CO氢化为甲酸(HCOOH)、将HCOOH氢化为甲醛和甲醇。基于自由能剖面图,我们模拟的配合物似乎是一种可行的无碱催化剂,可用于将CO转化为HCOOH以及将HCOOH转化为HCO,该剖面图显示CO转化为HCOOH以及HCOOH转化为HCO的表观活化能垒分别为16.28 kcal/mol和23.63 kcal/mol。然而,计算结果表明,由于HCO转化为CHOH的能量跨度巨大,在温和条件下CO无法完全氢化为甲醇。吗啉助催化剂可以通过参与同时的H原子供体-受体过程来降低氢化势垒,从而有助于完成这一步骤。