Artificial photosynthesis (AP) is a synthetic chemical process that replicates natural photosynthesis to mass produce hydrogen as a clean fuel from sunlight driven water splitting (2H2O → O2 + H2). In both natural and artificial photosynthesis, an oxygen evolving catalyst (OEC) is needed to catalyze oxygen production from water (2H2O → O2 + 4H+ + 4e-). Herein, we present a simple undergraduate laboratory experiment to introduce students to the topic of artificial photosynthesis. Students conduct experiments to monitor the kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyzed with a molecular catalyst using the Vernier Dissolved Oxygen Optical Probe (DOOP), a luminescent probe that can continuously measure the concentration of dissolved oxygen in aqueous solutions. Students collected time-dependent dissolved oxygen plots, analyzed and interpreted oxygen evolution data using modern Vernier equipment. This laboratory protocol is simple and allows students to relate many fundamental topics such as thermodynamics, kinetics, catalysis, and redox and coordination chemistry to advances in current chemical research and help broaden their understanding of artificial photosynthesis.

Undergraduate chemistry laboratory to study the catalytic oxygen evolution reaction using a Dissolved-Oxygen Optical Probe (DOOP) to appreciate artificial photosynthesis

254th National Meeting (2017)

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