ABSTRACT
The reductive conversion of carbon dioxide to organic compounds is a relatively difficult process, in that it is both highly endothermic and requires multielectron transfer. The activation of carbon dioxide can be accomplished either by the external supply of energy (photochemical, electrical, or thermal) or by its reaction with a reactant of high free energy content. The latter category includes hydrogenation with molecular hydrogen, as described in Chapter 10. The high-temperature thermochemical carboxylation with CO2 of alkali metal carbonates and phenolates and of various aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acid salts was discussed in Section 8.4. The reactions with high free energy molecules, such as ammonia, amines, and organometallic compounds, are the subject of this chapter.
