LAUSR

The use of CO 2 instead of toxic CO in the production of important chemicals has attracted widespread interest and reverse water-gas-shift reaction (RWGSR) is the key step for processed. Although the thermodynamic limitations are overcome by the reaction of CO with other compounds, the temperature of most reactions involving RWGSR is usually very high due to the inertness of CO 2 . Herein, we found that the Ru 3 (CO) 12 could catalyze the RWGSR process in ionic liquid HMimBF 4 without ligand or promoter the CO could be produced at 80  o C, which was much lower than that reported to date. Detailed study showed that BF 4 - of the ionic liquid played a crucial role in the low temperature RWGSR. Based on the low temperature RWGSR, three important routes to transform CO 2 into valuable chemicals were developed, including synthesis of xanthone from CO 2 and diaryl ethers, synthesis of phenol and acetic acid from CO 2 and anisole, and production of acetic acid from CO 2 and lignin. The reactions could occur at temperature as low as 80 o C, and low temperature RWGSR was essential for the reactions under mild condition. The strategy opens the way to produce value-added chemicals using CO 2 and H 2 as feedstocks under low temperature.