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Predictive energetic tuning of C-Nucleophiles for the electrochemical capture of carbon dioxide

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https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/articles/nz806112f
Abstract
  • This work maps the thermodynamics of electrochemically generated C-nucleophiles for reactive capture of CO2. We identify a linear relationship between the pKa, the reduction potential of a protonated nucleophile (Ered), and the nucleophile’s free energy of CO2 binding (ΔGbind). Through synergistic experiments and computations, this study establishes a three-parameter correlation described by the equation ΔGbind=−0.78pKa+4.28Ered+20.95 for a series of twelve imidazol(in)ium/N-heterocyclic carbene pairs with an R2 of 0.92. The correlation allows us to predict the ΔGbind of C-nucleophiles to CO2 using reduction potentials or pKas of imidazol(in)ium cations. The carbenes in this study were found to exhibit a wide range CO2 binding strengths, from strongly CO2 binding to nonspontaneous. This observation suggests that the ΔGbind of imidazol(in)ium-based carbenes is tunable to a desired strength by appropriate structural changes. This work sets the stage for systematic energetic tuning of electrochemically enabled reactive separations.

     

Creator
Date Issued
  • 2022
Academic Affiliation
Journal Title
Journal Issue/Number
  • 4
Journal Volume
  • 25
Last Modified
  • 2023-11-03
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DOI
ISSN
  • 2589-0042
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