Mechanistic insight from activation parameters for the reaction of a ruthenium hydride complex with CO2 in conventional solvents and an ionic liquid.

Detailed kinetic studies were performed on the reaction of [Ru(II)(terpy)(bpy)H](+) (terpy = 2,2',6',2″-terpyridine; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) with CO(2) in conventional solvents (water, methanol, and ethanol) and in the ionic liquid [emim][NTf(2)] ([emim] = 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium; [NTf(2)] = bistrifluoromethylsulfonylamide). Second-order rate constants and activation parameters (ΔH(‡), ΔS(‡), and ΔV(‡)) were determined for the reaction in all solvents. The second-order rate constants correlate with the acceptor number of the solvent, whereas the activation parameters support the associative nature of the reaction. The results in water, especially the activation entropy (+14 ± 2 J K(-1) mol(-1)) and activation volume (-5.9 ± 0.6 cm(3) mol(-1)), differ significantly from those found for the other solvents.