Pyridine-Decorated Carbon Nanotubes as a Metal-Free Heterogeneous Catalyst for Mild CO2 Reduction to Methanol with Hydroboranes

Pyridine decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NPy-MW) have been successfully employed as a catalyst for the reduction of carbon dioxide to methyl borinate (R2BO-CH3) in the presence of 9-borabicycloij3.3.1]nonane. NPy-MW represents the first example of a heterogeneous, metal-free and durable catalyst for CO2 hydroboration to methanol. A mechanistic cycle has been proposed on the basis of targeted blank experiments and a quantum chemical study, highlighting the non-innocent role played by the nanotube carrier in the final NPy-MW catalytic performance.