Abstract
This lecture presents recent examples of the modification of the activity and selectivity of solid (metallic) catalysts for the reduction of carbon dioxide by the addition of an organic compound. This may be a small molecule or polymer that adsorbs to the solid surface, or a molecule present in the solvent, such as an ionic liquid, currently being widely studied as a co-solvent forCO2 transformation. The discussion focuses on the effects of this organic additive on catalyst structure and reaction mechanisms. Indeed, this additive can act on the morphology of the catalyst, on the hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties of the surface, on the activation of the substrate or of certain reaction intermediates, on the activation (or inactivation) of certain surface metal sites, and so on.
