The prospect of using carbon dioxide to produce value-added products is very attractive for the chemical industry. Nickelalactones are formed from the reaction of C₂H₄ and CO₂ at Ni⁰ centers. Treatment of these with methyl iodide results in the formation of an alkyl ester ligand, leading to the release of methyl acrylate through β-hydride elimination. This reaction is so far not catalytic and the yields are rather low (max. 33 %).

Fritz Kühn and colleagues, Technical University Munich, Germany, have shown that nickelalactones bearing chelating diamines or diphosphines can produce methyl acrylate in yields of up to 56 %.

The efficiency of the reaction was found to depend on the strength of the nickel–ligand bond. A loosely bound ligand could dissociate one arm to reduce steric hindrance and facilitate approach of the β-H atom towards the nickel center. The efficiency of the reductive elimination of methyl acrylate was dependent on the ligand due to electronic and steric effects on the nickel atom.

• Transformation of Nickelalactones to Methyl Acrylate: On the Way to a Catalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide
  S. Y. T. Lee, M. Cokoja, M. Drees, Y. Li, J. Mink, W. A. Herrmann, F. E. Kühn,
  ChemSusChem 2011.
  DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201000445