Transition Metal Complexes as Catalysts for the Electroconversion of CO₂: An Organometallic Perspective

The electrocatalytic transformation of carbon dioxide has been a topic of interest in the field of CO₂ utilization for a long time. Recently, the area has seen increasing dynamics as an alternative strategy to catalytic hydrogenation for CO₂ reduction. While many studies focus on the direct electron transfer to the CO₂ molecule at the electrode material, molecular transition metal complexes in solution offer the possibility to act as catalysts for the electron transfer. C₁ compounds such as carbon monoxide, formate, and methanol are often targeted as the main products, but more elaborate transformations are also possible within the coordination sphere of the metal center. This perspective article will cover selected examples to illustrate and categorize the currently favored mechanisms for the electrochemically induced transformation of CO₂ promoted by homogeneous transition metal complexes. The insights will be corroborated with the concepts and elementary steps of organometallic catalysis to derive potential strategies to broaden the molecular diversity of possible products.