Atom-economical reduction of carbon monoxide to methanol: Is the catalyst single-site or multi-site?

The use of single-site catalyst precursors to maximize CO conversion into methanol, which may allow methanol production cheaply enough to consider methanol as a feedstock, was studied. The activity data for homogeneous CO reduction to methanol catalyzed by various Ni complexes and activated by potassium methoxide base showed that the reaction is facile and CO, chloride, and acetylacetonate ligated Ni complexes are versatile catalysts at 120°C and pressure 4700 kPa. The selectivity to methanol was ≤ 99% and the by-products consisted of methyl formate and dimethyl ether. Methane was observed only as a trace (< 0.001%). It is suggested that the mononuclear Ni species catalyzes CO reduction to methanol.