The elusive abnormal CO2 insertion enabled by metal-ligand cooperative photochemical selectivity inversion

Abstract

The development of molecular catalysts for the reverse water–gas shift reaction is impeded by the general selectivity of CO2 insertion into M–H bonds to formates. Here, the authors report that the selectivity of CO2 insertion into a Ni–H bond can be inverted from normal to abnormal insertion upon switching from thermal to photochemical conditions.