Okayama University

Makoto Muranaka

Toshiyuki Oshiki

Provided is a catalyst for producing hydrogen, which catalyst has higher performance than conventional catalysts since, for example, it exhibits a certain high level of activity in an aqueous formic acid solution at high concentration even without addition of a solvent, amine and/or the like. The metal phosphine complex is a metal phosphine complex represented by General Formula (1): MH(CO)L, wherein M represents an iridium, iron, rhodium or ruthenium atom; in cases where M is an iridium or rhodium atom, m=3 and n=2, and in cases where M is an iron or ruthenium atom, m=2 and n=3; and the number n of Ls each independently represent a tri-substituted phosphine represented by General Formula (2): PRRR. The catalyst for producing hydrogen comprises the metal phosphine complex as a constituent component.

Metal complex compound, hydrogen production catalyst and hydrogenation reaction catalyst each comprising the metal complex compound, and hydrogen production method and hydrogenation method each using the catalyst

A catalyst contains a metal complex compound represented by the following general formula (I). In the formula (I), M is a metal ion such as ruthenium, Lis a cyclic or acyclic, neutral or minus 1-valent unsaturated hydrocarbon group of 1 to 30 carbon atoms which may have a substituent, Land Lare each independently chlorine or the like, and Lis a compound bonded to M through phosphorus or arsenic and represented by the following general formula (IIa) or (IIb). In the formulas (IIa) and (IIb), E is phosphorus or arsenic, Yis oxygen or sulfur, Y, Yand Yare each independently a hydrogen atom, an aryl group or the like, and H is a hydrogen atom.

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Okayama, Japan

Makoto Muranaka