Homogeneous first-row transition metal catalyst for sustainable hydrogen production and organic transformation from methanol, formic acid, and bio-alcohols

Abstract

The recent advances in homogeneous first-row transition-metal catalyzed for hydrogen production and important organic transformations from methanol, formic acid (FA), and bio-alcohols are the current interest, which is an important paradigm in chemical synthesis for the development of sustainable catalysis. Early work mainly based on noble metal (Ru, Ir, and Pt) catalysts, but at present the focused on mainly earth-abundant 3d base-metal (Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) complexes, which are showing growing interest, highly elusive and demanding in the modern science due to its low cost, less toxic and more abundance. In this review, we mainly aim to describe the topics such as a) hydrogen formation and organic transformations from methanol, formic acid, and bio-alcohols; b) C-methylation, N-methylation, and formamide formation using methanol; c) N-heterocycle, lactam, lactone and hydrogen formation from diol or bioalcohols; d) hydrogen formation and storage capability of the liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) and additionally a special attention is paid to the utility of these reactions including brief reaction mechanism, and scope of reaction.