Cu(I)-Glutathione Assembly Supported on ZIF-8 as Robust and Efficient Catalyst for Mild CO2 Conversions

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2024 Sep 9;63(37):e202407430. doi: 10.1002/anie.202407430. Epub 2024 Aug 2.

Abstract

The Cu-glutathione (GSH) redox system, essential in biology, is designed here as a supramacromolecular assembly in which the tetrahedral 18e Cu(I) center loses a thiol ligand upon adsorption onto ZIF-8, as shown by EXAFS and DFT calculation, to generate a very robust 16e planar trigonal single-atom Cu(I) catalyst. Synergy between Cu(I) and ZIF-8, revealed by catalytic experiments and DFT calculation, affords CO2 conversion into high-value-added chemicals with a wide scope of substrates by reaction with terminal alkynes or propargyl amines in excellent yields under mild conditions and reuse at least 10 times without significant decrease in catalytic efficiency.

Keywords: CO2; ZIF-8; alkyne; carboxylation; glutathione; heterogeneous catalysis.