Electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide by a polymeric film of rhenium tricarbonyl dipyridylamine

A dipyridylamine ligand with a pendant pyrrole (N-(3-N,N′-bis(2-pyridyl)propylamino)pyrrole, PPP) and its corresponding rhenium(I) complex, Re(CO)3(κ2-N,N-PPP)Cl, were synthesized. The structure of Re(CO)3(κ2-N,N-PPP)Cl was determined by X-ray crystallography. Electrochemical polymerization of the pyrrole moiety resulted in the immobilization of poly[Re(CO)3(κ2-N,N-PPP)Cl] film onto a glassy carbon electrode, which exhibited electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of CO2 to CO.