Iron porphyrins as homogeneous catalysts for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction is a promising solution to address problems associated with global warming and energy storage/demand. Research in developing a new molecular catalyst for the selective reduction of CO2 is gathering a great deal of effort from scientists. Up to now, carbon monoxide (CO) and formic acid (HCOOH) are the two main products obtained from electrochemical reduction of CO2. CO is one attractive product since it can be used as a starting material to get many C2+ and larger products. This thesis revisits the CO2 reduction mechanism, specifically focusing on examining H-bonding features and intramolecular electron transfer rates. Through the design of homogeneous iron porphyrin catalysts, this work emphasizes the critical importance of H-bonding effects and demonstrates how adding an additional redox-active group improves process efficiency.