Electrochemical Characterization and CO2 Reduction Reaction of a Family of Pyridazine-Bridged Dinuclear Mn(I) Carbonyl Complexes

Three recently synthesized neutral dinuclear carbonyl manganese complexes with the pyridazine bridging ligand, of general formula [Mn2(μ-ER)2(CO)6(μ-pydz)] (pydz = pyridazine; E = O or S; R = methyl or phenyl), have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry in dimethylformamide and acetonitrile both under an inert argon atmosphere and in the presence of carbon dioxide. This family of Mn(I) compounds behaves interestingly at negative potentials in the presence of CO2. Based on this behavior, which is herein discussed, a rather efficient catalytic mechanism for the CO2 reduction reaction toward the generation of CO has been hypothesized.