Metal–Polypyridyl Catalysts for Electro- and Photochemical Reduction of Water to Hydrogen

Importantly, the onset of catalysis by the [(PY5Me2)Co(H2O)]2+ series is anodically shifted by introducing electron-withdrawing functional groups on the ligand. With the [(bpy2PYMe)Co(CF3SO3)]1+ system, we showed that introducing a redox-active moiety can facilitate the electro- and photochemical reduction of protons from weak acids such as acetic acid or water. Using a high-throughput photochemical reactor, we examined the structure–reactivity relationship of a series of cobalt(ii) complexes. Taken together, these findings set the stage for the broader application of polypyridyl systems to catalysis under environmentally benign aqueous conditions.

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