Despite the fundamental importance of the hydricity of a transition metal hydride (ΔG(H–)°(MH) for the reaction M–H → M+ + H–) in a range of reactions important in catalysis and solar energy storage, ours (J. Am. Chem. Soc.2009, 131, 2794) are the only values reported for water solvent, and there has been no basis for comparison of these with the wider range already determined for acetonitrile solvent, in particular. Accordingly, we have used a variety of approaches to determine hydricity values in acetonitrile of Ru(II) hydride complexes previously studied in water. For [Ru(η(6)-C6Me6)(bpy)H]+ (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine), we used a thermodynamic cycle based on evaluation of the acidity of [Ru(η(6)-C6Me6)(bpy)H]+ pKa = 22.5 ± 0.1 and the [Ru(η(6)-C6Me6)(bpy)(NCCH3)(1/0)](2+/0) electrochemical potential (−1.22 V vs Fc+/Fc). For [Ru(tpy)(bpy)H]+ (tpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine) we utilized organic hydride ion acceptors (A+) of characterized hydricity derived from imidazolium cations and pyridinium cations, and determined K for the hydride transfer reaction, S + MH+ + A+ → M(S)2+ + AH (S = CD3CN, MH+ = [Ru(tpy)(bpy)H]+), by 1H NMR measurements. Equilibration of initially 7 mM solutions was slow--on the time scale of a day or more. When E°(H+/H–) is taken as 79.6 kcal/mol vs Fc+/Fc as a reference, the hydricities of [Ru(η(6)-C6Me6)(bpy)H]+ and [Ru(tpy)(bpy)H]+ were estimated as 54 ± 2 and 39 ± 3 kcal/mol, respectively, in acetonitrile to be compared with the values 31 and 22 kcal/mol, respectively, found for aqueous media. The pKa estimated for [Ru(tpy)(bpy)H]+ in acetonitrile is 32 ± 3. UV–vis spectroscopic studies of [Ru(η(6)-C6Me6)(bpy)]0 and [Ru(tpy)(bpy)]0 indicate that they contain reduced bpy and tpy ligands, respectively. These conclusions are supported by DFT electronic structure results. Comparison of the hydricity values for acetonitrile and water reveals a flattening or compression of the hydricity range upon transferring the hydride complexes to water.

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We describe a new strategy for enhancing the efficiency of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction with a homogeneous catalyst, using a room-temperature ionic liquid as both the solvent and electrolyte. The electrochemical behavior of fac-ReCl(2,2'-bipyridine)(CO)3 in neat 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetracyanoborate ([emim][TCB]) was compared with that in acetonitrile containing 0.1 M [Bu4N][PF6]. Two separate one-electron reductions occur in acetonitrile (-1.74 and -2.11 V vs Fc(+/0)), with a modest catalytic current appearing at the second reduction wave under CO2. However, in [emim][TCB], a two-electron reduction wave appears at -1.66 V, resulting in a ∼0.45 V lower overpotential for catalytic reduction of CO2 to CO. Furthermore, the apparent CO2 reduction rate constant, kapp, in [emim][TCB] exceeds that in acetonitrile by over one order of magnitude (kapp = 4000 vs 100 M(-1) s(-1)) at 25 ± 3 °C. Supported by time-resolved infrared measurements, a mechanism is proposed in which an interaction between [emim](+) and the two-electron reduced catalyst results in rapid dissociation of chloride and a decrease in the activation energy for CO2 reduction.

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