Catalytic hydrogen production from paraformaldehyde and water using an organoiridium complex.

Paraformaldehyde was decomposed using an organoiridium complex (1, [Ir(III)(Cp*)(4-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl-κN(2))benzoic acid-κC(3))(H2O)]2SO4) as a catalyst in water to produce H2 and CO2 in a 2 : 1 molar ratio at room temperature. The catalytic cycle is composed of the reduction of 1 by paraformaldehyde under basic conditions to produce formic acid and the hydride complex, which reacts with protons to produce H2. Formic acid further decomposed to H2 and CO2 with 1.