Reactions of carbon dioxide with transition metal compounds

Activation via coordination is one of the most powerful and universal ways of inducing inert molecules to react. This lecture deals with the problern of carbon dioxide activation by means of transition metal compounds. The complexes formed from C0 2 in reactions with low-valent rhodium, platinum and ruthenium compounds were investigated. The C0 2 insertions into transition metal-hydrogen and ---carbon bonds are discussed: they may Iead not only to the 'normal' insertion products but also to metallo-acids and their esters--the products of 'reverse' pathways. The reduction of C0 2 and decomposition of formic acid open the way to some homogeneaus catalytic processes.