The splitting of water into O2 and H2 is an attractive option for the production of sustainable energy, where mastering the process of oxidizing water is the key step for the utilization of this potential. The possibilities are enormous, where the later can be used as a fuel, stored for future demands, or even to be used for the production of more complex fuels and chemicals.Comprising a redox and proton transfer mediator motif into the WOC would facilitate the simultaneous transfer of electrons and protons, thus avoiding high-energy intermediates and give access to new reaction pathways. In order to both decrease the redox potentials and permit coupled proton-electron transfer, imidazole and carboxylate were introduced as mediators into the ligands. Therefore the meridionally coordinating benzimidazole based ligands 1  and 2  and their related single-site ruthenium complexes 3  and 4  were synthesized. Indeed, by introducing the redox and proton transfer mediator motif (imidazole) the WOCs were able to catalyze water oxidation, under neutral conditions, both by pre-generated and photogenerated [Ru(bpy)3]3+.

Water oxidation by single-site ruthenium complexes: Using ligands as redox and proton transfer mediators

245th National Meeting (2013)

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