(1) To give insights into the electronic structures and reaction mechanisms of CO2 hydrogenation catalyzed by the cheap first-row transition metal bis(diphosphine) complexes, [Co(dmpe)2H]0 and [Ni(dmpe)2H]+. This is important for the improvement of the catalyst efficiency for the CO2 conversion to hydrocarbon feedstocks.
(2) To understand the role of the external Lewis acid to assist CO2 hydrogenation by [Ni(dmpe)2H]+.