h1

 

Research

Development of Polyphosphines for CO₂ Activation at Molecular Catalysts

The exploitation of fossil carbon is not only limited by its finite nature and therefore unsustainable, but also leads to the steady increase of the atmospheres CO₂ content, which, in turn, facilitates climate change. Utilizing CO₂ as a resource enables a closed carbon cycle and thus offers solutions to both aspects of this problem.

Transition metals in molecular form show high activity for the catalytic activation and conversion of CO₂. Porous organic polymers (POPs) based on ligand motifs are able to immobilize catalytically active metal complexes and thereby offer an opportunity to take advantage of the favorable properties of both homogenous and heterogenous catalysts. Through incorporating defined coordination sides within the polymer, the metal centers chemical environment can be defined and tuned. Moreover, because of its solid state, it offers a high stability and straightforward removal from the reaction mixture, which simplifies recycling.

Research focus:

• single site catalysts
• base‑free CO₂ activation
• polyphosphines