Exchange Coupling Determines Metal-Dependent Efficiency for Iron- and Cobalt-Catalyzed Photochemical CO 2 Reduction
Catalysts promoting multielectron charge delocalization offer selectivity for the CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) over the competing hydrogen evolution reaction. Here, we show metal–ligand exchange coupling as an example of charge delocalization that can determine the efficiency for photocatalytic CO 2 RR. A comparative evaluation of iron and cobalt complexes supported by the redox-active ligand tpyPY2Me establishes that the two-electron reduction of [Co(tpyPY2Me)] 2+ ([Co] 2+ ) occurs at potentials 770 mV more negative than the [Fe(tpyPY2Me)] 2+ ([Fe] 2+ ) analogue by maximizing the exchange coupling in the latter compound. The positive shift in the reduction potential promoted by metal–ligand exchange coupling drives [Fe] 2+ to be among the most active and selective molecular catalysts for photochemical CO 2 RR reported to date, maintaining up to 99% CO product selectivity with total turnover numbers (TONs) and initial turnover frequencies exceeding 30,000 and 900 min –1 , respectively. In contrast, [Co] 2+ shows much lower CO 2 RR activity, reaching only ca. 600 TON at 83% CO product selectivity under similar conditions accompanied by rapid catalyst decomposition. Further, the spin density plots of the two-electron reduced [Co] 0 complex implicate a paramagnetic open-shell doublet ground state compared to the diamagnetic open-shell singlet ground state of reduced [Fe] 0 , rationalizing the observed negative shift in two-electron reduction potentials from the [M] 2+ species and lowered CO 2 RR efficiency for the cobalt complex relative to its iron congener. This work emphasizes the contributions of multielectron metal–ligand exchange coupling in promoting effective CO 2 RR and provides a starting point for the broader incorporation of this strategy in catalyst design.