Phosphane-Catalyzed Reduction of Nitrous Oxide by PIII/PV=O Cycling

Abstract Herein, we build on our recent development of a main-group-catalyzed reduction of nitrous oxide (N₂O) based on phosphorus PIII/PV=O redox cycling. The increasing global emissions of N₂O are of significant environmental concern owing to its high global warming potential and its role in ozone-layer depletion. The developed transformation enables low-temperature N₂O reduction using nonmetal catalysts and provides alternative pathways for N₂O decomposition. We report detailed optimization studies, including phosphane, silane, and solvent screening, aimed at gaining deeper insight into the reaction mechanism and its further potential.