A New Method of C02 Activation: Alcohol Homologation with a CO2/H2 Mixture

Homologation of methanol and ethanol has been observed by placing a CO₂/H₂ (1:1) mixture in contact with a suspension of copper/zirconium polyhydride, Cu₃Zr₂H_n, in an alcohol–benzene solution; the absence of CO and CH₃OH among the reaction products in the ethanol homologation suggests that carbon monoxide and methanol are not involved in the reaction observed.