Photochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to formate in the coordination sphere of MoH4(PH2PCH2CH2PPh2)2

UV, IR, and NMR spectra of photolysis products obtained by irradiation of MoH₄(Ph₂PCH₂CH₂PPh₂)₂ (1) in an atmosphere of CO₂,¹³CO₂, or C¹⁸O₂ were studied. In the coordination sphere of1, photochemical reduction of carbon dioxide occurs, yielding products of formate type. Treatment of photoproducts with acids affords formaldehyde.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2043–2045, October, 1995.The author is grateful to A. P. Borisov and V. D. Makhaev for providing a sample of MoH₄(Ph₂PCH₂CH₂PPh₂)₂.