Issue 45, 2021

Dinuclear 2,4-di(pyridin-2-yl)-pyrimidine based ruthenium photosensitizers for hydrogen photo-evolution under red light

Abstract

In this study, we report two dinuclear Ru(II) complexes C1 and C2 and compare them to their mononuclear analogues Ref1 and Ref2. The dinuclear species exhibit a much stronger absorption, longer excited-state lifetimes and higher luminescence quantum yields than the mononuclear complexes. In addition, C1 and C2 are easier to reduce. An estimation of the driving forces for the electron transfer processes relevant to photocatalytic hydrogen evolution suggests that C1 and Ref2 possess similar activity as photosensitizer (PS). Yet, the improved photophysical properties of C1 make it a more promising candidate for hydrogen evolution. In hydrogen evolution experiments, C1 indeed exhibits increased activity as PS, however, the catalytic system loses its activity after only a few hours. C2 is less active than the mononuclear complexes despite its superior photophysical properties. This observation is attributed to a lack of driving force for the electron transfer towards the catalyst. Further studies of the dinuclear complex C1 show that it is indeed the PS, which decomposes under the catalytic conditions, presumably due to the electron transfer towards the catalyst being the rate-limiting step.

Graphical abstract: Dinuclear 2,4-di(pyridin-2-yl)-pyrimidine based ruthenium photosensitizers for hydrogen photo-evolution under red light

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 mars 2021
Accepted
12 oct. 2021
First published
13 oct. 2021

Dalton Trans., 2021,50, 16528-16538

Dinuclear 2,4-di(pyridin-2-yl)-pyrimidine based ruthenium photosensitizers for hydrogen photo-evolution under red light

M. T. Gamache, T. Auvray, D. G. Kurth and G. S. Hanan, Dalton Trans., 2021, 50, 16528 DOI: 10.1039/D1DT00868D

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements