A new polypyridyl-based Ru (II) complex as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction

A new polypyridyl Ru (II) complex, cis-[Ru (Me₄phen)₂(CH₃CN)₂](NO₃)₂ (Me₄phen = 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) has been prepared and fully characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray crystallography, cyclic voltammetry and spectroscopic techniques. The solid-state structure of the complex indicated that the Ru (II) center is sitting in an N₄N′₂ coordination environment with a distorted octahedral geometry. Cyclic voltammetry technique was used to investigate the catalytic activity of the Ru (II) complex on the electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to CO in acetonitrile. The effect of the different reaction parameters, including the scan rate, concentration of the electrocatalyst [complex Ru (II)] and reaction temperature, on the catalytic activity was also investigated. The results showed that the electrocatalytic activity of the complex increases with increasing electrocatalyst concentration and scan rate. Further, the CO₂ reduction peak current decreases at lower temperatures owing to the inverse relationship between the temperature and activation energy. The theoretical calculations confirmed the proposed electrocatalytic mechanism comprising seven steps.