A new homogeneous electrocatalyst for the reduction of carbon dioxide to methanol at low overpotential

The pyridinium ion is found to be a novel homogeneous catalyst for the reduction of CO2 to methanol. Although the reduction of protons to dihydrogen competes with methanol formation, methanol faradaic yields of up to 30% have been observed at hydrogenated Pd electrodes. The former reaction occurs both directly at the electrode surface and also by the reduction of the reduced pyridinium species to form pyridine and hydrogen. The salient feature of this system is that the reduction of CO2 proceeds at low overpotentials.