Breaking Scaling Relationships in CO 2 Electroreduction with Isoelectronic Analogs [Fe 4 N(CO) 12 ] – and [Fe 3 MnO(CO) 12 ] –
[Fe 4 N(CO) 12 ] – and [Fe 3 MnO(CO) 12 ] – have the same total electron count and overall charge, as well as similar reduction potentials of –1.21 and –1.17 V vs SCE in MeCN, respectively. Both clusters form the reduced hydride upon single electron transfer (ET) and proton transfer (PT). It is known that [Fe 4 N(CO) 12 ] – is an electrocatalyst for selective CO 2 reduction to formate at –1.2 V vs SCE in either pH 7 buffered water or in MeCN/H 2 O (95:5) and an effective electrocatalyst for H + reduction to H 2 under N 2 under the same conditions. In contrast, [Fe 3 MnO(CO) 12 ] – affords no products upon electrolysis, beyond [H-Fe 3 MnO(CO) 12 ] – . Herein, we determine that [H-Fe 3 MnO(CO) 12 ] – is a weaker hydride donor than [H-Fe 4 N(CO) 12 ] – by about 4 kcal mol –1 , and this is a breaking of the hydricity versus reduction potential scaling relationship previously established for a series of metal carbonyl clusters electrocatalysts.