The iridium(Ir) (triNHC = tri-N-heterocyclic carbene)-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of glycerol carbonate (GC) is described in the absence of additional hydride sources. The described reduction provides a sustainable route to produce industrially-valuable formate and lactate with high turnover numbers (TONs). The bimetallic Ir(I) involving triNHC carbene ligands exhibits high TONs, and the reaction mechanism, including the bimetallic Ir(triNHC) catalyst, is proposed based on mechanistic studies.
Funding: This research was funded by National Research Foundation of Korea, grant number 2020M3H7A1098283 and 2022R1A2C1004387.Acknowledgments: This study was supported by the Carbon to X Program (No. 2020M3H7A1098283) and Basic Science Research Program (No. 2022R1A2C1004387) by the National Research Foundation of Korea, which is funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT).
