Recent developments in the activation of carbon dioxide by metal complexes

World leaders are negotiating a new global treaty that will lead to the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions to legal commitments. Carbon dioxide is the largest single source of greenhouse gas, and emissions of carbon dioxide are increasing continuously. Utilization of carbon dioxide as a possible starting material for the synthesis of fine chemicals provides an attractive alternative to compounds presently derived from coal and petroleum. The effective conversion of carbon dioxide to useful chemicals will inevitably rely on transition metal catalysts. This review covers the recent progress in the direct activation of carbon dioxide by organo-transition metal complexes, with emphasis on insertion reactions and oxidative coupling reactions of carbon dioxide. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.