Catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide by a zinc hydride compound, [Tptm]ZnH, and conversion to the methanol level.

The zinc hydride compound, [Tptm]ZnH, may achieve the reduction of CO by (RO)SiH (R = Me, Et) to the methanol oxidation level, (MeO)Si(OR), the formate species, HCOSi(OR). However, because insertion of CO into the Zn-H bond is more facile than insertion of HCOSi(OR), conversion of HCOSi(OR) to the methanol level only occurs to a significant extent in the absence of CO.