Screening Xanthene Dyes for Visible Light-Driven Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Regeneration and Photoenzymatic Synthesis

Substituent Effects of Fluorescein on Photoredox Initiating Performance under Visible Light

We demonstrated the effects of substituents in fluorescein on the photoredox catalytic performance under visible light. For the systematic investigation, the phenyl ring of fluorescein was substituted with six different functional groups (i.e., amine, amide, isothiocyanate, aminomethyl, bromo, or nitro group) at the 5- or 6-position. The fluorescein derivatives were carefully characterized through photophysical and electrochemical analyses. The substituent effects were estimated by comparing the photopolymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and N-vinylpyrrolidone (VP) in the presence of triethanolamine (TEOA) under aerobic conditions to that of intact fluorescein. As a result, the amine and nitro groups exhibited the lowest performances, presumably due to intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET) promoted by the strong electron push-pull effect. The others, representative moderate or weak deactivators and activators, exhibited inferior performances than intact fluorescein, presumably owing to the more negative ΔGPET values, resulting in a decreased rate of intermolecular PET. These results are crucial for understanding the structure-performance relationship and the development of visible-light photoredox catalysts with improved performance and functionality.

Photocatalytic Regeneration of a Nicotinamide Adenine Nucleotide Mimic with Water-Soluble Iridium(III) Complexes

Nicotinamide adenine nucleotide (NADH) is involved in many biologically relevant redox reactions, and the photochemical regeneration of its oxidized form (NAD⁺) under physiological conditions is of interest for combined photo- and biocatalysis. Here, we demonstrate that tri-anionic, water-soluble variants of typically very lipophilic iridium(III) complexes can photo-catalyze the reduction of an NAD⁺ mimic in a comparatively efficient manner. In combination with a well-known rhodium co-catalyst to facilitate regioselective reactions, these iridium(III) photo-reductants outcompete the commonly used [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) photosensitizer in water by up to 1 order of magnitude in turnover frequency. This improved reactivity is attributable to the strong excited-state electron donor properties and the good chemical robustness of the tri-anionic iridium(III) sensitizers, combined with their favorable Coulombic interaction with the di-cationic rhodium co-catalyst. Our findings seem relevant in the greater context of photobiocatalysis, for which access to strong, efficient, and robust photoreductants with good water solubility can be essential.

Artificial photosynthesis systems for solar energy conversion and storage: platforms and their realities

In natural photosynthesis, photosynthetic organisms such as green plants realize efficient solar energy conversion and storage by integrating photosynthetic components on the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts. Inspired by natural photosynthesis, researchers have developed many artificial photosynthesis systems (APS's) that integrate various photocatalysts and biocatalysts to convert and store solar energy in the fields of resource, environment, food, and energy. To improve the system efficiency and reduce the operation cost, reaction platforms are introduced in APS's since they allow for great stability and continuous processing. A systematic understanding of how a reaction platform affects the performance of artificial photosynthesis is conducive for designing an APS with superb solar energy utilization. In this review, we discuss the recent APS's researches, especially those confined on/in platforms. The importance of different platforms and their influences on APS's performance are emphasized. Generally, confined platforms can enhance the stability and repeatability of both photocatalysts and biocatalysts in APS's as well as improve the photosynthetic performance due to the proximity effect. For functional platforms that can participate in the artificial photosynthesis reactions as active parts, a high integration of APS's components on/in these platforms can lead to efficient electron transfer, enhanced light-harvesting, or synergistic catalysis, resulting in superior photosynthesis performance. Therefore, the integration of APS's components is beneficial for the transfer of substrates and photoexcited electrons in artificial photosynthesis. We finally summarize the current challenges of APS's development and further efforts on the improvement of APS's.

Strategies for overcoming the limitations of enzymatic carbon dioxide reduction

The overexploitation of fossil fuels has led to a significant increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations, thereby causing problems, such as the greenhouse effect. Rapid global climate change has caused researchers to focus on utilizing CO₂ in a green and efficient manner. One of the ways to achieve this is by converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals via chemical, photochemical, electrochemical, or enzymatic methods. Among these, the enzymatic method is advantageous because of its high specificity and selectivity as well as the mild reaction conditions required. The reduction of CO₂ to formate, formaldehyde, and methanol using formate dehydrogenase (FDH), formaldehyde dehydrogenase (F_aldDH), and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) are attractive routes, respectively. In this review, strategies for overcoming the common limitations of enzymatic CO₂ reduction are discussed. First, we present a brief background on the importance of minimizing of CO₂ emissions and introduce the three bottlenecks limiting enzymatic CO₂ reduction. Thereafter, we explore the different strategies for enzyme immobilization on various support materials. To solve the problem of cofactor consumption, different state-of-the-art cofactor regeneration strategies as well as research on the development of cofactor substitutes and cofactor-free systems are extensively discussed. Moreover, aiming at improving CO₂ solubility, biological, physical, and engineering measures are reviewed. Finally, conclusions and future perspectives are presented.

Aerobic Photobiocatalysis Enabled by Combining Core-Shell Nanophotoreactors and Native Enzymes

Biocatalysis has become a powerful tool in synthetic chemistry, where enzymes are used to produce highly selective products under mild conditions. Using photocatalytically regenerated cofactors in synergistic combination with enzymes in a cascade fashion offers an efficient synthetic route to produce specific compounds. However, the combination of enzymes and photocatalysts has been limited due to the rapid degradation of the biomaterials by photogenerated reactive oxygen species, which denature and deactivate the enzymatic material. Here, we design core-shell structured porous nano-photoreactors for highly stable and recyclable photobiocatalysis under aerobic conditions. The enzymatic cofactor NAD⁺ from NADH can be efficiently regenerated by the photoactive organosilica core, while photogenerated active oxygen species are trapped and deactivated through the non-photoactive shell, protecting the enzymatic material. The versatility of these photocatalytic core-shell nanoreactors was demonstrated in tandem with two different enzymatic systems, glycerol dehydrogenase and glucose 1-dehydrogenase, where long-term enzyme stability was observed for the core-shell photocatalytic system.

Preparation of chiral aryl alcohols: a controllable enzymatic strategy via light-driven NAD(P)H regeneration

Controllable and mild photoenzymatic production of chiral alcohols was realized by coupling a photochemical NAD(P)H regeneration system with (R)- or (S)-selective ketoreductases.

Rhodium-Complex-Functionalized and Polydopamine-Coated CdSe@CdS Nanorods for Photocatalytic NAD+ Reduction

We report on a photocatalytic system consisting of CdSe@CdS nanorods coated with a polydopamine (PDA) shell functionalized with molecular rhodium catalysts. The PDA shell was implemented to enhance the photostability of the photosensitizer, to act as a charge-transfer mediator between the nanorods and the catalyst, and to offer multiple options for stable covalent functionalization. This allows for spatial proximity and efficient shuttling of charges between the sensitizer and the reaction center. The activity of the photocatalytic system was demonstrated by light-driven reduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) to its reduced form NADH. This work shows that PDA-coated nanostructures present an attractive platform for covalent attachment of reduction and oxidation reaction centers for photocatalytic applications.

Covalent Triazine Framework as an Efficient Photocatalyst for Regeneration of NAD(P)H and Selective Oxidation of Organic Sulfide

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs), belonging to the super-family of covalent organic frameworks, have attracted significant attention as a new type of photosensitizer due to the superb light harvesting ability and efficient charge transfer originating from the large surface area. However, the wide optical band gap in CTFs, which is larger than 3.0 eV, hinders the efficient light harvesting in the visible range. To overcome this limitation, we developed the new type CTFs photocatalyst based on the donor-acceptor conjugation scheme by using melamine (M) and 2,6-diaminoanthraquinone (AQ) as monomeric units. The melamine-2,6-diaminoanthraquinone based covalent triazine frameworks (M-AQ-CTFs) photocatalyst shows the excellent light harvesting capacity with high molar extinction coefficient, and the suitable optical band gap involving the internal charge transfer character. Combination of M-AQ-CTFs and artificial photosynthetic system including the organometallic rhodium complex, acting as an electron mediator, exhibited the excellent photocatalytic efficiency for the regeneration of the nicotinamide cofactors such as NAD(P)H. In addition, this photocatalyst showed the high photocatalytic efficiency for the metal-free aerobic oxidation of sulfide. This study demonstrates the high potential of CTFs photocatalyst with the donor-acceptor conjugated scheme can be actively used for the artificial photosynthesis.

Photocatalyst-enzyme hybrid systems for light-driven biotransformation

Enzymes catalyse target reactions under mild conditions with high efficiency, as well as excellent regional-, stereo-, and enantiomeric selectivity. Photocatalysis utilises sustainable and environment-friendly light power to realise efficient chemical conversion. By combining the interdisciplinary advantages of photo- and enzymatic catalysis, the photocatalyst-enzyme hybrid systems have proceeded various light-driven biotransformation with high efficiency under environmentally benign conditions, thus, attracting unparalleled focus during the last decades. It has also been regarded as a promising pathway towards green chemistry utilising ubiquitous solar energy. This systematic review gives insight into this research field by classifying the existing photocatalyst-enzyme hybrid systems into three sections based on different hybridizing modes between photo- and enzymatic catalysis. Furthermore, existing challenges and proposed strategies are discussed within this context. The first system summarised is the cofactor-mediated hybrid system, in which natural/artificial cofactors act as reducing equivalents that connect photocatalysts with enzymes for light-driven enzymatic biotransformation. Second, the direct contact-based photocatalyst-enzyme hybrid systems are described, including two different kinds of electron exchange sites on the enzyme molecules. Third, some cases where photocatalysts and enzymes are integrated into a reaction cascade with specific intermediates will be discussed in the following chapter. Finally, we provide perspective concerning the future of this field.

Cooperative Interplay of Brønsted Acid and Lewis Acid Sites in MIL-101(Cr) for Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling of C-H Bonds

Cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) is an effective tool for carbon-carbon bond formation in chemical synthesis. Herein, we report a metal-organic framework (MOF) possessing dual Lewis acidic Cr sites and sulfonic acid sites (MIL-101(Cr)-SO₃H) as an efficient catalytic material for direct cross-coupling of xanthene and different nucleophiles using O₂ as the oxidant. The highly porous structure of MIL-101(Cr)-SO₃H enables the free access of reactants to the catalytic active sites inside MOF pores. Kinetic studies indicated that the Cr sites of MOF accelerate the rate-limiting autoxidation reaction of xanthene, which synergistically work with the sulfonic acid group on MOF ligands in promoting the CDC reactions. Besides, the catalytic system shows excellent functional group compatibility, and a variety of valuable xanthene derivatives were synthesized with satisfactory yields. Furthermore, MIL-101(Cr)-SO₃H can be reused and its catalytic activity and crystal structure remain after six consecutive runs.

Photo-biocatalytic Cascades: Combining Chemical and Enzymatic Transformations Fueled by Light

In the field of green chemistry, light - an attractive natural agent - has received particular attention for driving biocatalytic reactions. Moreover, the implementation of light to drive (chemo)enzymatic cascade reactions opens up a golden window of opportunities. However, there are limitations to many current examples, mostly associated with incompatibility between the enzyme and the photocatalyst. Additionally, the formation of reactive radicals upon illumination and the loss of catalytic activities in the presence of required additives are common observations. As outlined in this review, the main question is how to overcome current challenges to the exploitation of light to drive (chemo)enzymatic transformations. First, we highlight general concepts in photo-biocatalysis, then give various examples of photo-chemoenzymatic (PCE) cascades, further summarize current synthetic examples of PCE cascades and discuss strategies to address the limitations.

Eosin-Y and sulfur-codoped g-C3N4 composite for photocatalytic applications: the regeneration of NADH/NADPH and the oxidation of sulfide to sulfoxide

The successful development of eosin-Y and sulfur-codoped g-C3N4 composite as a highly efficient photocatalyst for the regeneration of NADH/NADPH (64.38%/81.14%) and the light-driven oxidation of sulfide to sulfoxide with an yield of 99.6%.

Precious-metal free photocatalytic production of an NADH analogue using cobalt diimine-dioxime catalysts under both aqueous and organic conditions

The photocatalytic generation of an NADH synthetic analogue, i.e. 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (1,4-BNAH), has been studied using the cobalt diimino-dioxime complexes and the BF₂-bridged derivative as catalysts. 1,4-BNAH was produced in both aqueous and organic media at unprecedented turnover numbers with metal and organic photosensitizers, respectively.

A thiophene-modified doubleshell hollow g-C3N4 nanosphere boosts NADH regeneration via synergistic enhancement of charge excitation and separation

ATCN-DSCN enabled boosted NADH photo-regeneration and FDH-assisted CO₂ reduction.

Photobiocatalysis: Activating Redox Enzymes by Direct or Indirect Transfer of Photoinduced Electrons

Biocatalytic transformation has received increasing attention in the green synthesis of chemicals because of the diversity of enzymes, their high catalytic activities and specificities, and mild reaction conditions. The idea of solar energy utilization in chemical synthesis through the combination of photocatalysis and biocatalysis provides an opportunity to make the "green" process greener. Oxidoreductases catalyze redox transformation of substrates by exchanging electrons at the enzyme's active site, often with the aid of electron mediator(s) as a counterpart. Recent progress indicates that photoinduced electron transfer using organic (or inorganic) photosensitizers can activate a wide spectrum of redox enzymes to catalyze fuel-forming reactions (e.g., H₂ evolution, CO₂ reduction) and synthetically useful reductions (e.g., asymmetric reduction, oxygenation, hydroxylation, epoxidation, Baeyer-Villiger oxidation). This Review provides an overview of recent advances in light-driven activation of redox enzymes through direct or indirect transfer of photoinduced electrons.

Photoredox catalysed synthesis of amino alcohol

A mild and efficient one-pot visible light-induced method has been developed for the synthesis of amino alcohols.

Artificial Photosynthesis: Hybrid Systems

Oxidoreductases are promising catalysts for organic synthesis. To sustain their catalytic cycles they require efficient supply with redox equivalents. Today classical biomimetic approaches utilizing natural electron supply chains prevail but artificial regeneration approaches bear the promise of simpler and more robust reaction schemes. Utilizing visible light can accelerate such artificial electron transport chains and even enable thermodynamically unfeasible reactions such as the use of water as reductant.This contribution critically summarizes the current state of the art in photoredoxbiocatalysis (i.e. light-driven biocatalytic oxidation and reduction reactions).

Cofactor-Free, Direct Photoactivation of Enoate Reductases for the Asymmetric Reduction of C=C Bonds

Enoate reductases from the family of old yellow enzymes (OYEs) can catalyze stereoselective trans-hydrogenation of activated C=C bonds. Their application is limited by the necessity for a continuous supply of redox equivalents such as nicotinamide cofactors [NAD(P)H]. Visible light-driven activation of OYEs through NAD(P)H-free, direct transfer of photoexcited electrons from xanthene dyes to the prosthetic flavin moiety is reported. Spectroscopic and electrochemical analyses verified spontaneous association of rose bengal and its derivatives with OYEs. Illumination of a white light-emitting-diode triggered photoreduction of OYEs by xanthene dyes, which facilitated the enantioselective reduction of C=C bonds in the absence of NADH. The photoenzymatic conversion of 2-methylcyclohexenone resulted in enantiopure (ee>99 %) (R)-2-methylcyclohexanone with conversion yields as high as 80-90 %. The turnover frequency was significantly affected by the substitution of halogen atoms in xanthene dyes.

Product Selectivity in Homogeneous Artificial Photosynthesis Using [(bpy)Rh(Cp*)X]n+-Based Catalysts

Due to the limited amount of fossil energy carriers, the storage of solar energy in chemical bonds using artificial photosynthesis has been under intensive investigation within the last decades. As the understanding of the underlying working principle of these complex systems continuously grows, more focus will be placed on a catalyst design for highly selective product formation. Recent reports have shown that multifunctional photocatalysts can operate with high chemoselectivity, forming different catalysis products under appropriate reaction conditions. Within this context [(bpy)Rh(Cp*)X]n+-based catalysts are highly relevant examples for a detailed understanding of product selectivity in artificial photosynthesis since the identification of a number of possible reaction intermediates has already been achieved.

Sunlight-Dependent Hydrogen Production by Photosensitizer/Hydrogenase Systems

We report a sustainable in vitro system for enzyme-based photohydrogen production. The [FeFe]-hydrogenase HydA1 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was tested for photohydrogen production as a proton-reducing catalyst in combination with eight different photosensitizers. Using the organic dye 5-carboxyeosin as a photosensitizer and plant-type ferredoxin PetF as an electron mediator, HydA1 achieves the highest light-driven turnover number (TON_HydA1 ) yet reported for an enzyme-based in vitro system (2.9×10⁶  mol(H₂ ) mol(cat)^-1 ) and a maximum turnover frequency (TOF_HydA1 ) of 550 mol(H₂ ) mol(HydA1)^-1  s^-1 . The system is fueled very effectively by ambient daylight and can be further simplified by using 5-carboxyeosin and HydA1 as a two-component photosensitizer/biocatalyst system without an additional redox mediator.

Site-specific bioconjugation of an organometallic electron mediator to an enzyme with retained photocatalytic cofactor regenerating capacity and enzymatic activity

Photosynthesis consists of a series of reactions catalyzed by redox enzymes to synthesize carbohydrates using solar energy. In order to take the advantage of solar energy, many researchers have investigated artificial photosynthesis systems mimicking the natural photosynthetic enzymatic redox reactions. These redox reactions usually require cofactors, which due to their high cost become a key issue when constructing an artificial photosynthesis system. Combining a photosensitizer and an Rh-based electron mediator (RhM) has been shown to photocatalytically regenerate cofactors. However, maintaining the high concentration of cofactors available for efficient enzymatic reactions requires a high concentration of the expensive RhM; making this process cost prohibitive. We hypothesized that conjugation of an electron mediator to a redox enzyme will reduce the amount of electron mediators necessary for efficient enzymatic reactions. This is due to photocatalytically regenerated NAD(P)H being readily available to a redox enzyme, when the local NAD(P)H concentration near the enzyme becomes higher. However, conventional random conjugation of RhM to a redox enzyme will likely lead to a substantial loss of cofactor regenerating capacity and enzymatic activity. In order to avoid this issue, we investigated whether bioconjugation of RhM to a permissive site of a redox enzyme retains cofactor regenerating capacity and enzymatic activity. As a model system, a RhM was conjugated to a redox enzyme, formate dehydrogenase obtained from Thiobacillus sp. KNK65MA (TsFDH). A RhM-containing azide group was site-specifically conjugated to p-azidophenylalanine introduced to a permissive site of TsFDH via a bioorthogonal strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition and an appropriate linker. The TsFDH-RhM conjugate exhibited retained cofactor regenerating capacity and enzymatic activity.

Eosin Y-catalyzed visible-light-mediated aerobic oxidative cyclization of N,N-dimethylanilines with maleimides

A novel and simple strategy for the efficient synthesis of the corresponding tetrahydroquinolines from N,N-dimethylanilines and maleimides using visible light in an air atmosphere in the presence of Eosin Y as a photocatalyst has been developed. The metal-free protocol involves aerobic oxidative cyclization via sp³ C–H bond functionalization process to afford good yields in a one-pot procedure under mild conditions.

Visible light photocatalytic reduction of aldehydes by Rh(iii)-H: a detailed mechanistic study

The slow visible light mediated generation of a rhodium hydride allows the chemoselective reduction of aldehydes in the presence of ketones. Electron transfer from the chromophore to the metal complex proceeds via a radical anion intermediate or a solvated electron as two competing reaction pathways.

The chemoselective photoreduction of aldehydes in the presence of ketones was achieved using triethanolamine (TEOA) as sacrificial electron donor, proflavine (PF) as photocatalyst and [Cp*Rh(iii)(bpy)Cl]Cl (Rh_cat) as mediator. The reducing agent, which reacts with the carbonyl group was found to be [Cp*Rh(iii)(bpy)H]Cl (Rh(iii)–H). Contrary to formate-based reduction, its slow photochemical in situ generation enables to kinetically distinguish aldehydes from ketones. The inherent reactivity difference of the carbonyl compounds is transferred by the method into synthetically useful reaction selectivities. The substrate scope is broad with excellent yields. A detailed study of the reaction mechanism reveals that the photoreduction of the PF triplet and the subsequent reduction of the Rh_cat leading to Rh(iii)–H represents the major reaction pathway, which is highly oxygen sensitive. The oxidative quenching of the PF singlet state by Rh_cat is a competing mechanism, which prevails in non-degassed systems.

Cofactor-free light-driven whole-cell cytochrome P450 catalysis

Cytochromes P450 can catalyze various regioselective and stereospecific oxidation reactions of non-functionalized hydrocarbons. Here, we have designed a novel light-driven platform for cofactor-free, whole-cell P450 photo-biocatalysis using eosin Y (EY) as a photosensitizer. EY can easily enter into the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli and bind specifically to the heme domain of P450. The catalytic turnover of P450 was mediated through the direct transfer of photoinduced electrons from the photosensitized EY to the P450 heme domain under visible light illumination. The photoactivation of the P450 catalytic cycle in the absence of cofactors and redox partners is successfully conducted using many bacterial P450s (variants of P450 BM3) and human P450s (CYPs 1A1, 1A2, 1B1, 2A6, 2E1, and 3A4) for the bioconversion of different substrates, including marketed drugs (simvastatin, lovastatin, and omeprazole) and a steroid (17β-estradiol), to demonstrate the general applicability of the light-driven, cofactor-free system.

Silicon nanowire photocathodes for light-driven electroenzymatic synthesis

The photoelectroenzymatic synthesis of chemical compounds employing platinum nanoparticle-decorated silicon nanowires (Pt-SiNWs) is presented. The Pt-SiNWs proved to be an efficient material for photoelectrochemical cofactor regeneration because the silicon nanowires absorbs a wide range of the solar spectrum while the platinum nanoparticle serve as an excellent catalyst for electron and proton transfer. By integrating the platform with redox enzymatic reaction, visible-light-driven electroenzymatic synthesis of L-glutamate was achieved. Compared to electrochemical and photochemical methods, this approach is free from side reactions caused by sacrificial electron donors and has the advantage of applying low potential to realize energy-efficient and sustainable synthesis of chemicals by a photoelectroenzymatic system.

Rhodium-coordinated poly(arylene-ethynylene)-alt-poly(arylene-vinylene) copolymer acting as photocatalyst for visible-light-powered NAD⁺/NADH reduction

A 2,2'-bipyridyl-containing poly(arylene-ethynylene)-alt-poly(arylene-vinylene) polymer, acting as a light-harvesting ligand system, was synthesized and coupled to an organometallic rhodium complex designed for photocatalytic NAD(+)/NADH reduction. The material, which absorbs over a wide spectral range, was characterized by using various analytical techniques, confirming its chemical structure and properties. The dielectric function of the material was determined from spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements. Photocatalytic reduction of nucleotide redox cofactors under visible light irradiation (390-650 nm) was performed and is discussed in detail. The new metal-containing polymer can be used to cover large surface areas (e.g. glass beads) and, due to this immobilization step, can be easily separated from the reaction solution after photolysis. Because of its high stability, the polymer-based catalyst system can be repeatedly used under different reaction conditions for (photo)chemical reduction of NAD(+). With this concept, enzymatic, photo-biocatalytic systems for solar energy conversion can be facilitated, and the precious metal catalyst can be recycled.

Mussel-inspired plasmonic nanohybrids for light harvesting

Core-shell plasmonic nanohybrids are synthesized through a simple solutionbased process utilizing mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA). The multi-purpose PDA not only facilitates plasmonic metal formation, but also serves as a scaffold to incorporate photosensitizers around the metal cores, as well as an adhesive between the nanohybrids and the substrate. The resulting plasmonic assembly exhibits highly enhanced light absorption in photo catalytic systems to augment artificial photosynthesis.

Near-infrared-light-driven artificial photosynthesis by nanobiocatalytic assemblies

Artificial photosynthesis in nanobiocatalytic assemblies aims to reconstruct man-made photosensitizers, electron mediators, electron donors, and redox enzymes for solar synthesis of valuable chemicals through photochemical cofactor regeneration. Herein, we report, for the first time, on nanobiocatalytic artificial photosynthesis in near-infrared (NIR) light, which constitutes over 46% of the solar energy. For NIR-light-driven photoenzymatic synthesis, we synthesized silica-coated upconversion nanoparticles, Si-NaYF4:Yb,Er and Si-NaYF4:Yb,Tm, for efficient photon-conversion through Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) with rose bengal (RB), a photosensitizer. We observed NIR-induced electron transfer by using linear sweep voltammetric analysis; this indicates that photoexcited electrons of RB/Si-NaYF4:Yb,Er are transferred to NAD+ through a Rh-based electron mediator. RB/Si-NaYF4:Yb,Er nanoparticles, which exhibit higher FRET efficiency due to more spectral overlap than RB/Si-NaYF4:Yb,Tm, perform much better in the photoenzymatic conversion.

The coordination chemistry of organo-hydride donors: new prospects for efficient multi-electron reduction

In biological reduction processes the dihydronicotinamides NAD(P)H often transfer hydride to an unsaturated substrate bound within an enzyme active site. In many cases, metal ions in the active site bind, polarize and thereby activate the substrate to direct attack by hydride from NAD(P)H cofactor. This review looks more widely at the metal coordination chemistry of organic donors of hydride ion--organo-hydrides--such as dihydronicotinamides, other dihydropyridines including Hantzsch's ester and dihydroacridine derivatives, those derived from five-membered heterocycles including the benzimidazolines and benzoxazolines, and all-aliphatic hydride donors such as hexadiene and hexadienyl anion derivatives. The hydride donor properties--hydricities--of organo-hydrides and how these are affected by metal ions are discussed. The coordination chemistry of organo-hydrides is critically surveyed and the use of metal-organo-hydride systems in electrochemically-, photochemically- and chemically-driven reductions of unsaturated organic and inorganic (e.g. carbon dioxide) substrates is highlighted. The sustainable electrocatalytic, photochemical or chemical regeneration of organo-hydrides such as NAD(P)H, including for driving enzyme-catalysed reactions, is summarised and opportunities for development are indicated. Finally, new prospects are identified for metal-organo-hydride systems as catalysts for organic transformations involving 'hydride-borrowing' and for sustainable multi-electron reductions of unsaturated organic and inorganic substrates directly driven by electricity or light or by renewable reductants such as formate/formic acid.