A Self‐Separating Multiphasic System for Catalytic Hydrogenation of CO2 and CO2‐Derivatives to Methanol.

Catalytic conversion of CO2 and hydrogen to methanol was achieved in a self‐separating multiphasic system comprising the tailor‐made complex [Ru(CO)ClH(MACHO‐C12)] (MACHO‐C12=bis{2‐[bis(4‐dodecylphenyl)phosphino]ethyl}amine) in n‐decane as the catalyst phase. Effective catalyst recycling was demonstrated for the carbonate and the amine‐assisted pathway from CO2 to methanol. The polar products MeOH or MeOH/H2O generated from the catalytic reactions spontaneously formed a separate phase, allowing product isolation and catalyst separation without the need for any additional solvent. In the amine‐assisted hydrogenation of CO2, the catalyst phase was recycled over ten subsequent runs, reaching a total turnover number to MeOH of 19200 with an average selectivity of 96 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]