The hydrogenation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to formic acid is of great importance due to its useful properties in the chemical industry. In this work, we have prepared a novel metal–organic framework (MOF), JMS-1, using bipyridyl dicarboxylate linkers, with molecular formula [La₂(bpdc)₃(DMF)₃]_n. Network analysis of JMS-1 revealed a new 7-connected topology (zaz). The MOF backbone of the activated phase (JMS-1a) was functionalized by cyclometalation using [RuCl₂(p-cymene)]₂ to produce Ru(II)@JMS-1a. Both JMS-1a and Ru(II)@JMS-1a were able to convert CO₂ in the presence of hydrogen to formate. Ru(II)@JMS-1a displayed outstanding conversion evidenced by a yield of 98% of formate under optimized conditions of total pressure 50 bar (CO₂/H₂ = 1 : 4, temperature 110 °C, time 24 h, 5 mmol KOH, 8 mL ethanol). This work is significant in providing new strategies of incorporating active catalytic centres in MOFs for efficient and selective conversion of CO₂ to formate.

This review provides an overview of recent developments in the area of aqueous biphasic hydroformylation of higher olefins using metal catalysts and surfactants, cosolvents, thermoregulated ligands, cyclodextrins, and most importantly emerging water-soluble nonphosphine ligands. Water-soluble phosphine ligands have been widely explored for aqueous biphasic hydroformylation; however, phosphines are generally expensive and are prone to oxidation hence the recent interest in exploring other ligands. Various approaches have been used to introduce hydrophilicity to the ligands. The catalytic activity of monometallic and heterobimetallic systems containing nonphosphine ligands in aqueous biphasic media is emphasized in this review.

Pyrazole-containing compounds have been used in recent times as ligands to stabilize metal complexes used as pre-catalysts in cross-coupling reactions. With various substituents at various positions in the pyrazole ring, the overall electrophilic and steric properties of the metal complexes can be fine-tuned. Herein, we report the synthesis of bulky pyrazole-based ligands by condensation of methyl 4-(bromomethyl)benzoate or benzyl bromide with various substituted pyrazole compounds. These ligands were utilised in the synthesis of bis(pyrazolyl)palladium(II) complexes. The complexes' catalytic activity in Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions was evaluated. Phenyl bearing pre-catalyst 7, at a catalyst loading of 0.33 mol%, successfully converted 98% of bromobenzene and phenylboronic acid to biphenyl in 4 h at 140 °C, while the tertiary butyl bearing pre-catalyst 8 converted up to 81% of the same substrates to biphenyl. An increase in conversion was seen for all pre-catalysts when an electron-withdrawing substituent was present on the aryl halide substrate, and the opposite was observed when the electron-withdrawing group was present on the phenyl boronic acid.