[RuII(tpy)(bpy)Cl]+-Catalyzed reduction of carbon dioxide. Mechanistic insights by carbon-13 kinetic isotope effectsDedicated to Prof. Kim R. Dunbar on the occasion of her 60th birthday.Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c8cc03009j

In this work, we examine the use of competitive 13 C kinetic isotope effects ( 13 C KIEs) on CO 2 reduction reactions that produce CO and formic acid as a means to formulate reaction mechanisms. The findings reported here mark a further advancement in the combined 13 C KIE measurements and theoretical calculations methodology for probing CO 2 conversion reactions. 13 C kinetic isotope effect determinations combined with DFT calculations provide insight on the CO 2 reduction reaction catalyzed by a ruthenium complex.