Hydrogen might be the best alternative to fossil fuels, yet the challenge is to produce it from a cheap and abundant source such as water. The research on developing molecular photocatalysts that can split water started in the late 80’s. However, the efficiency of the catalysts needs to be improved to produce hydrogen on a large scale. A catalytic system for the photolysis of water consists of three components: an electron relay, a photosensitizer and a photocatalyst. Platinum terpyridine chloride ([PtCl(tpy)]<sup>+</sup>) is known to act as both photosensitizer and photocatalyst. The proposed mechanism for catalytic hydrogen production involves a close interaction between two Pt nuclei. Here, we use Cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) as a tool to secure Pt complexes together as dimers. We found that the formation of a 2:1 assembly between CB[8] and complex [PtCl(tpy)]<sup>+</sup> efficiently promotes hydrogen formation upon irradiation of an aqueous solution of the supramolecular assembly.

Utilizing CB[8] to enhance activity of Pt photocatalyst in water reduction

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.