Selective Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Formaldehyde via a Bis(silyl)acetal: Incorporation of Isotopically Labeled C1 Moieties Derived from Carbon Dioxide into Organic Molecules.

The conversion of carbon dioxide to formaldehyde is a transformation that is of considerable significance in view of the fact that formaldehyde is a widely used chemical, but this conversion is challenging because CO2 is resistant to chemical transformations. Therefore, we report here that formaldehyde can be readily obtained from CO2 at room temperature via the bis(silyl)acetal, H2C(OSiPh3)2. Specifically, formaldehyde is released from H2C(OSiPh3)2 upon treatment with CsF at room temperature. H2C(OSiPh3)2 thus serves as a formaldehyde surrogate and provides a means to incorporate CHx (x = 1 or 2) moieties into organic molecules. Isotopologues of H2C(OSiPh3)2 may also be synthesized, thereby providing a convenient means to use CO2 as a source of isotopic labels in organic molecules.