CO2 Cleavage Reaction Driven by Alkylidyne Complexes of Group 6 Metals and Uranium: A Density Functional Theory Study on Energetics, Reaction Mechanism, and Structural/Bonding Properties

Designing novel catalysts is essential for the efficient conversion of metal alkylidyne into metal oxo ketene complexes in the presence of CO2, which to some extent resolves the environmental concerns of the ever-increasing carbon emission. In this regard, a series of metal alkylidyne complexes, [b-ONO]M CCH3 (THF)(2) ([b-ONO] = {(C6H4 [C(CF3)(2)O])(2)N}(3-); M = Cr, Mo, W, and U), have been comprehensively studied by relativistic density functional theory calculations. The calculated thermodynamics and kinetics unravel that the tungsten complex is capable of catalyzing the CO2 cleavage reaction, agreeing with the experimental findings for its analogue. Interestingly, the uranium complex shows superior catalytic performance because of the associated considerably lower energy barrier and larger reaction rate constant. The M C moiety in the complexes turns out to be the active site for the [2 + 2] cyclic addition. In contrast, complexes of Cr and Mo could not offer good catalytic performance. Along the reaction coordinate, the M-C (M = Cr, Mo, W, and U) bond regularly transforms from triple to double to single bonds; concomitantly, the newly formed M-O in the product is identified to have a triple-bond character. The catalytic reactions have been extensively explained and addressed by geometric/electronic structures and bonding analyses.