On the Existence and Role of Formaldehyde During Aqueous Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Monoxide to Methanol by Cobalt Phthalocyanine.

A long-time challenge in aqueous CO2 electrochemical reduction is to catalyze the formation of products beyond carbon monoxide with selectivity. Formaldehyde is the simplest of these products and one of the most relevant due to its broad use in the industry. Paradoxically it is one of the less reported product. Such scarcity may be in part explained by difficult identification and quantification using conventional chromatography or proton nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Likewise, indirect detection methods are usually not compatible with labelled studies for asserting product origin. Recently, the possible production of formaldehyde during electrochemical reduction of carbon monoxide to methanol at cobalt phthalocyanine molecular catalyst in basic media has been the object of contradictory reports. By applying an analytical procedure based on proton NMR along with labelled studies, we provide definitive evidence for HCHO formation. We have further identified the possible scenarios for methanol formation through formaldehyde and revealed that the formation of the intermediate and its subsequent reduction are taking place at the same single active site. These studies open a new perspective to improve selectivity toward formaldehyde formation and to develop a subsequent chemistry based on reacting it with nucleophiles.