Highly efficient reduction of carbon dioxide with a borane catalyzed by bis(phosphinite) pincer ligated palladium thiolate complexes

Highly efficient catalytic reduction of CO2 with catecholborane has been developed by using bis(phosphinite) pincer ligated palladium thiolate complexes. Turnover frequencies up to 1780 h−1 have been achieved at room temperature under an atmospheric pressure of CO2. These thiolate complexes represent the most efficient homogeneous catalysts known to date for the reduction of CO2 to methanol under mild conditions.