Impact of the hybridization form of the coordinated nitrogen atom on the electrocatalytic water oxidation performance of copper complexes with pentadentate amine-pyridine ligands

Abstract

The field of molecular catalysts places a strong emphasis on the connection between the ligand structure and its catalytic performance. Herein, we changed the type of coordinated nitrogen atom in pentadentate amine-pyridine ligands to explore the impact of its hybridization form on the water oxidation performance of copper complexes. In the electrochemical tests, the copper complex bearing dipyridine-triamine displayed an apparently higher rate constant of 4.97 s⁻¹, while the copper complex with tripyridine-diamine demonstrated overpotential reduction by 56 mV and better long-term electrolytic stability.