Development of an Iridium‐Based Catalyst for High‐Pressure Evolution of Hydrogen from Formic Acid

A highly efficient and recyclable Ir catalyst bearing a 4,7‐dihydroxy‐1,10‐phenanthroline ligand was developed for the evolution of high‐pressure H(2) gas (>100 MPa), and a large amount of atmospheric pressure H(2) gas (>120 L), over a long term (3.5 months). The reaction proceeds through the dehydrogenation of highly concentrated aqueous formic acid (FA, 40 vol %, 10 mol L(−1)) at 80 °C using 1 μmol of catalyst, and a turnover number (TON) of 5 000 000 was calculated. The Ir catalyst precipitated after the reaction owing to its pH‐dependent solubility in water, and 94 mol % was recovered by filtration. Thus, it can be treated and recycled like a heterogeneous catalyst. The catalyst was successfully recycled over 10 times for highpressure FA dehydrogenation at 22 MPa without any treatment or purification.