With ever-growing energy needs it is imperative that we find clean and renewable energy sources. One of the best options is believed to be solar energy, which would require the capture and conversion, for example using photovoltaics, followed by the storage of that energy. One way to store the generated energy is in the H-H bond, with the hydrogen atoms coming from water, with oxygen as a byproduct, making a carbon-free energy source. To split water requires reduction of protons to hydrogen and water oxidation, where the latter has been considered the bottleneck. One very well-studied type of mononuclear water oxidation catalyst (WOC) was reported in 2008 by the Meyer group, a ruthenium (II) (terpy)(bipy) complex. We were interested in studying novel complexes that feature a polar group Z adjacent to the open site on the bipyridine ligand.The Z groups in the target complexes are designed to help move protons or create hydrogen-bonding interactions at the active site. In an attempt to study bifunctional interactions the complexes were characterized by 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR spectroscopies, along with select crystal structures. The ability of the complexes as WOC were tested using ceric ammonium nitrate as a sacrificial oxidant.

How do proximal groups on the bidentate ligand affect (terpy)Ru(N,N)X water oxidation catalysts? Synthesis, characterization, and reactivity

248th National Meeting (2014)

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