Towards a methanol economy based on homogeneous catalysis: methanol to H 2 and CO 2 to methanol

The possibility to implement both the exhaustive dehydrogenation of aqueous methanol to hydrogen and CO 2 and the reverse reaction, the hydrogenation of CO 2 to methanol and water, may pave the way to a methanol based economy as part of a promising renewable energy system. Recently, homogeneous catalytic systems have been reported which are able to promote either one or the other of the two reactions under mild conditions. Here, we review and discuss these developments.