Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide catalysed by macrocyclic Fe4S4iron–sulphur clusters

Abstract
Electrochemical fixation of CO2 into formate was efficiently carried out by using Fe4S4 cubane clusters bearing a 36-membered methylene backbone in dimethylformamide with initial current efficiencies of 40 and 23%, respectively, for t-butyl and benzyl type macrocyclic Fe–S derivatives; these derivatives are several times more efficient than conventional clusters bearing small thiolate ligands.