Photoreduction of CO to Methanol. The Photolysis of Aqueous Solutions of [Os(NH3)5(CO)]2+

Abstract

The carbonyl complex [O-S(II)(NH3)(5)(CO)](2+) undergoes a photolysis in aqueous solution which yields [O-S(VI)(NH3)(4)N](3+) (Phi = 10(-3) at lambda(irr) = 255 nm) and methanol. This photoreduction of CO to CH3OH represents a novel type of photoreactivity of metal carbonyl complexes and could be utilized for an artificial photosynthesis.