Issue 20, 2017

O–O bond formation in ruthenium-catalyzed water oxidation: single-site nucleophilic attack vs. O–O radical coupling

Abstract

In this review we discuss at the mechanistic level the different steps involved in water oxidation catalysis with ruthenium-based molecular catalysts. We have chosen to focus on ruthenium-based catalysts to provide a more coherent discussion and because of the availability of detailed mechanistic studies for these systems but many of the aspects presented in this review are applicable to other systems as well. The water oxidation cycle has been divided in four major steps: water oxidative activation, O–O bond formation, oxidative activation of peroxide intermediates, and O2 evolution. A significant portion of the review is dedicated to the O–O bond formation step as the key step in water oxidation catalysis. The two main pathways to accomplish this step, single-site water nucleophilic attack and O–O radical coupling, are discussed in detail and compared in terms of their potential use in photoelectrochemical cells for solar fuels generation.

Graphical abstract: O–O bond formation in ruthenium-catalyzed water oxidation: single-site nucleophilic attack vs. O–O radical coupling

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
24 7 2017
First published
01 9 2017

Chem. Soc. Rev., 2017,46, 6170-6193

O–O bond formation in ruthenium-catalyzed water oxidation: single-site nucleophilic attack vs. O–O radical coupling

D. W. Shaffer, Y. Xie and J. J. Concepcion, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2017, 46, 6170 DOI: 10.1039/C7CS00542C

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