Soft Approaches to CO2 Activation

The utilization of CO2 as a C1 synthon is becoming increasingly important as a feedstock derived from carbon capture and storage technologies. Herein, we describe some of our recent research on carbon dioxide valorization, notably, using organocatalysts to convert CO2 into carboxylic acid, ester, formyl and methyl groups on various organic molecules. We describe these studies within the broader context of CO2 capture and valorization and suggest approaches for future research.