Highly Efficient Reversible Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Formates Using a Ruthenium PNP‐Pincer Catalyst

Abstract The use of hydrogen as a fuel requires both safe and robust technologies for its storage and transportation. Formic acid (FA) produced by the catalytic hydrogenation of CO 2 is recognized as a potential intermediate H 2 carrier. Herein, we present the development of a formate‐based H 2 storage system that employs a Ru PNP‐pincer catalyst. The high stability of this system allows cyclic operation with an exceptionally fast loading and liberation of H 2 . Kinetic studies highlight the crucial role of the base promoter, which controls the rate‐determining step in FA dehydrogenation and defines the total H 2 capacity attainable from the hydrogenation of CO 2 . The reported findings show promise for the development of practical technologies that use formic acid as a hydrogen carrier.