Selective Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Formaldehyde via a Bis(silyl)acetal: Incorporation of Isotopically Labeled C Moieties Derived from Carbon Dioxide into Organic Molecules.

The conversion of carbon dioxide to formaldehyde is a transformation that is of considerable significance in view of the fact that formaldehyde is a widely used chemical, but this conversion is challenging because CO is resistant to chemical transformations. Therefore, we report here that formaldehyde can be readily obtained from CO at room temperature the bis(silyl)acetal, HC(OSiPh). Specifically, formaldehyde is released from HC(OSiPh) upon treatment with CsF at room temperature. HC(OSiPh) thus serves as a formaldehyde surrogate and provides a means to incorporate CH ( = 1 or 2) moieties into organic molecules. Isotopologues of HC(OSiPh) may also be synthesized, thereby providing a convenient means to use CO as a source of isotopic labels in organic molecules.