Nitrogen fixation is important  for the production of fertilizers and typically is performed through the Haber process.  This process requires high temperatures and pressures in addition to requiring methane for hydrogen production.  The enzyme nitrogenase performs the same process at ambient temperatures using water as a hydrogen source making it an attractive model for nitrogen fixing catalysts.  In this study pyrite nanoparticles are decorated with modified ruthenium tris-bipyridine complexes to create a photocatalytic nitrogenase analog.  Pyrite strongly resembles the FeMoCo cluster of all-iron nitrogenases while Ru (II) tris-bipyridine replaces the Fe4S4 cluster responsible for electron transfer.  The addition of carboxyl and phosphonyl groups to bipyridine allows the Ru(II) tris-bipyridine complex to bind to the pyrite surface.  Photo-excitation then allows for the bipyridine complex to transfer electrons to the pyrate nanoparticle.

Synthesis of modified ruthenium bipyridine complexes bound to pyrite: Nitrogenase-inspired catalysts

244th National Meeting (2012)

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