Supramolecular Mn−Ca Aggregates as Models for the Photosynthetic Water Oxidation Complex

Water electrolysis: from textbook knowledge to the latest scientific strategies and industrial developments

Replacing fossil fuels with energy sources and carriers that are sustainable, environmentally benign, and affordable is amongst the most pressing challenges for future socio-economic development. To that goal, hydrogen is presumed to be the most promising energy carrier. Electrocatalytic water splitting, if driven by green electricity, would provide hydrogen with minimal CO2 footprint. The viability of water electrolysis still hinges on the availability of durable earth-abundant electrocatalyst materials and the overall process efficiency. This review spans from the fundamentals of electrocatalytically initiated water splitting to the very latest scientific findings from university and institutional research, also covering specifications and special features of the current industrial processes and those processes currently being tested in large-scale applications. Recently developed strategies are described for the optimisation and discovery of active and durable materials for electrodes that ever-increasingly harness first-principles calculations and machine learning. In addition, a technoeconomic analysis of water electrolysis is included that allows an assessment of the extent to which a large-scale implementation of water splitting can help to combat climate change. This review article is intended to cross-pollinate and strengthen efforts from fundamental understanding to technical implementation and to improve the 'junctions' between the field's physical chemists, materials scientists and engineers, as well as stimulate much-needed exchange among these groups on challenges encountered in the different domains.

Preparation and properties of a calcium(ii)-based molecular chain decorated with manganese(ii) butterfly-like complexes

The room temperature reaction of [Mn₂O₂(bipy)₄](ClO₄)₃ (bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine) with Ca(CHCl₂COO)₂ in methanol produced a yellow crystalline material.

Towards models of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II: a Mn4Ca cluster of relevance to low oxidation states of the OEC

Synthetic access has been achieved into high oxidation state Mn/Ca chemistry with the 4 : 1 Mn : Ca stoichiometry of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of plants and cyanobacteria; the anion of (Et(3)NH)(2)[Mn(III)(4)Ca(O(2)CPh)(4)(shi)(4)] has a square pyramidal metal topology and an S = 0 ground state.

Synthesis and characterization of the tetranuclear iron(III) complex of a new asymmetric multidentate ligand. A structural model for purple acid phosphatases

The ligand, 2-((2-hydroxy-5-methyl-3-((pyridin-2-ylmethylamino)methyl)benzyl)(2-hydroxybenzyl)amino)acetic acid (H(3)HPBA), which contains a donor atom set that mimics that of the active site of purple acid phosphatase is described. Reaction of H(3)HPBA with iron(III) or iron(II) salts results in formation of the tetranuclear complex, [Fe(4)(HPBA)(2)(OAc)(2)(mu-O)(mu-OH)(OH(2))(2)]ClO(4) x 5H(2)O. X-Ray structural analysis reveals the cation consists of four iron(III) ions, two HPBA(3-) ligands, two bridging acetate ligands, a bridging oxide ion and a bridging hydroxide ion. Each binucleating HPBA(3-) ligand coordinates two structurally distinct hexacoordinate iron(III) ions. The two metal ions coordinated to a HPBA(3-) ligand are linked to the two iron(III) metal ions of a second, similar binuclear unit by intramolecular oxide and hydroxide bridging moieties to form a tetramer. The complex has been further characterised by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, UV-vis and MCD spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, magnetic susceptibility measurements and variable-temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy.

The first high oxidation state manganese–calcium cluster: relevance to the water oxidizing complex of photosynthesis

Synthetic entry has been achieved into high oxidation state Mn-Ca cluster chemistry with the preparation of [Mn(13)Ca(2)O(10)(OH)(2)(OMe)(2)(O(2)CPh)(18)(H(2)O)(4)]; the structure contains [Mn(4)CaO(4)] sub-units similar to that found in the photosynthetic water oxidizing complex.

Structure and dynamics of dinuclear zirconium(IV) complexes

We have determined by X-ray crystallography the structures of three dinuclear zirconium(IV) complexes containing the heptadentate ligand dhpta (where H(5)dhpta = 1,3-diamino-2-propanol-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, 1) and different countercations: K(2)[Zr(2)(dhpta)(2)].5H(2)O (2.5H(2)O), Na(2)[Zr(2)(dhpta)(2)].7H(2)O.C(2)H(5)OH (3.7H(2)O.C(2)H(5)OH), and Cs(2)[Zr(2)(dhpta)(2)].H(5)O(2).Cl.4H(2)O (4.H(5)O(2).Cl.4H(2)O). In the K(I) complex 2, crystallized from water, the two Zr(IV) ions are 3.5973(4) A apart and bridged via two alkoxo groups (average Zr-O 2.165 A). Each Zr(IV) is eight-coordinate and also bound to two N atoms (average Zr-N 2.448 A), and four carboxylate O atoms (average Zr-O 2.148 A). The two dhpta ligands in the dinuclear unit have different conformations. One face of the complex contains an array of 14 oxygen atoms and interacts strongly with the two K(I) ions, one of which is 6-coordinate, the other 8-coordinate, which are 3.922(4) A apart and bridged by a carboxylate O and by two water molecules. The structures of the dinuclear anion [Zr(2)(dhpta)(2)](2-) in the Na(I) complex 3 and in the Cs(I) complex 4 are essentially identical to that found in complex 2, although the alkali metal ions coordinate differently to the oxygen-rich face. All Zr(IV) ions have a distorted triangulated dodecahedral geometry. Although the crystal structure of complex 2 does not indicate the presence of acidic protons, in 4 an [H(5)O(2)](+) unit is strongly H-bonded to an oxygen atom of a coordinated carboxylate group. 1D and 2D (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopic and potentiometric studies reveal two deprotonations with pK(a) values of 9.0 and 10.0. At low pH, two carboxylate groups appear to undergo protonation accompanied by chelate ring-opening, and the complex exhibits dynamic fluxional behavior in which the two magnetically nonequivalent dhpta ligands exchange at a rate of 11 s(-1) at pH 3.30, 298 K, as determined from 2D EXSY NMR studies. Ligand interchange is not observed at high pH (>11). The same crystals of complex 2 were obtained from solutions at pH 3 or 12. The dynamic configurational change is therefore mediated by the aqueous solvent.

Novel rectangular [Fe4(mu4-OHO)(mu-OH)(2)](7+) versus "butterfly" [Fe4(mu3-O2](8+) core topology in the Fe(III)/RCO2(-)/phen reaction systems (R = Me, Ph; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline): preparation and properties of [Fe4(OHO)(OH)(2)(O2CMe)(4)(phen)(4)](ClO4)(3), [Fe4O2(O2CPh)(7)(phen)(2)](ClO4), and [Fe4O2(O2CPh)(8)(phen)(2)]

The preparations, X-ray structures, and detailed physical characterizations are presented for three new tetranuclear Fe(III)/RCO(2)(-)/phen complexes, where phen = 1,10-phenanthroline: [Fe(4)(OHO)(OH)(2)(O(2)CMe)(4)(phen)(4)](ClO(4))(3).4.4MeCN.H(2)O (1.4.4MeCN.H(2)O); [Fe(4)O(2)(O(2)CPh)(7)(phen)(2)](ClO(4)).2MeCN (2.2MeCN); [Fe(4)O(2)(O(2)CPh)(8)(phen)(2)].2H(2)O (3.2H(2)O). Complex 1.4.4MeCN.H(2)O crystallizes in space group P2(1)/n, with a = 18.162(9) A, b = 39.016(19) A, c = 13.054(7) A, beta = 104.29(2) degrees, Z = 4, and V = 8963.7 A(3). Complex 2.2MeCN crystallizes in space group P2(1)/n, with a = 18.532(2) A, b = 35.908(3) A, c = 11.591(1) A, beta = 96.42(1) degrees, Z = 4, and V = 7665(1) A(3). Complex 3.2H(2)O crystallizes in space group I2/a, with a = 18.79(1) A, b = 22.80(1) A, c = 20.74(1) A, beta = 113.21(2) degrees, Z = 4, and V = 8166(1) A(3). The cation of 1 contains the novel [Fe(4)(mu(4)-OHO)(mu-OH)(2)](7+) core. The core structure of 2 and 3 consists of a tetranuclear bis(mu(3)-O) cluster disposed in a "butterfly" arrangement. Magnetic susceptibility data were collected on 1-3 in the 2-300 K range. For the rectangular complex 1, fitting the data to the appropriate theoretical chi(M) vs T expression gave J(1) = -75.4 cm(-1), J(2) = -21.4 cm(-1), and g = 2.0(1), where J(1) and J(2) refer to the Fe(III)O(O(2)CMe)(2)Fe(III) and Fe(III)(OH)Fe(III) pairwise exchange interactions, respectively. The S = 0 ground state of 1 was confirmed by 2 K magnetization data. The data for 2 and 3 reveal a diamagnetic ground state with antiferromagnetic exchange interactions among the four high-spin Fe(III) ions. The exchange coupling constant J(bb) ("body-body" interaction) is indeterminate due to prevailing spin frustration, but the "wing-body" antiferromagnetic interaction (J(wb)) was evaluated to be -77.6 and -65.7 cm(-1) for 2 and 3, respectively, using the appropriate spin Hamiltonian approach. Mössbauer spectra of 1-3 are consistent with high-spin Fe(III) ions. The data indicated asymmetry of the Fe(4) core of 1 at 80 K, which is not detected at room temperature due to thermal motion of the core. The spectra of 2 and 3 analyze as two quadrupole-split doublets which were assigned to the body and wing-tip pairs of metal ions. (1)H NMR spectra are reported for 1-3 with assignment of the main resonances.

Deuterium structural effects in inorganic and bioinorganic aggregates

Deuterium kinetic isotope effects are widely used in chemical and biological research. Deuterium thermodynamic effects on the aqueous synthesis of inorganic materials, however, seem not to have been recognized. Here we report that the simple replacement of H(2)O with D(2)O in the synthesis of a solid-state manganese complex results in a new structurally and magnetically distinct phase. When iron oxides are synthesized, the relative amount of the mineral phases obtained in H(2)O vs D(2)O is different. The morphology and magnetic properties of the iron core of the iron storage protein ferritin are likewise different when mineralization is carried out in heavy water. The formation of extra inorganic solids, change in the ratio of two phases or alteration of a single phase morphology in D(2)O suggest that new inorganic and bioinorganic metal complexes might be obtained by using the thermodynamic isotope effect.

Conversion of core oxos to water molecules by 4e-/4H+ reductive dehydration of the Mn4O2(6+) core in the manganese-oxo cubane complex Mn4O4(Ph2PO2)6: a partial model for photosynthetic water binding and activation

Reaction of the Mn4O4(6+) "cubane" core complex, Mn4O4L6 (1) (L = diphenylphosphinate, Ph2PO2-), with a hydrogen atom donor, phenothiazine (pzH), forms the dehydrated cluster Mn4O2L6 (2), which has lost two mu-oxo bridges by reduction to water (H2O). The formation of 2 was established by electrospray mass spectrometry, whereas FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the release of water molecules into solution during the reduction of 1. UV-vis and EPR spectroscopies established the stoichiometry and chemical form of the pzH product by showing the production of 4 equiv of the neutral pz radical. By contrast, the irreversible decomposition of 1 to individual Mn(II) ions occurs if the reduction is performed using electrons provided by various proton-lacking reductants, such as cobaltocene or electrochemical reduction. Thus, cubane 1 undergoes coupled four-electron/four-proton reduction with the release of two water molecules, a reaction formally analogous to the reverse sequence of the steps that occur during photosynthetic water oxidation leading to O2 evolution. 1H NMR of solutions of 2 reveal that all six of the phosphinate ligands exhibit paramagnetic broadening, due to coordination to Mn ions, and are magnetically equivalent. A symmetrical core structure is thus indicated. We hypothesize that this structure is produced by the dynamic averaging of phosphinato ligand coordination or exchange of mu-oxos between vacant mu-oxo sites. The paramagnetic 1H NMR of water molecules in solution shows that they are able to freely exchange with water molecules that are bound to the Mn ion(s) in 2, and this exchange can be inhibited by the addition of coordinating anions, such as chloride. Thus, 2 possesses open or labile coordination sites for water and anions, in contrast to solutions of 1, which reveal no evidence for water coordination. Complex 2 exhibits greater paramagnetism than that of 1, as seen by 1H NMR, and it possesses a broad (440 G wide) EPR absorption, centered at g = 2, that follows a Curie-Weiss temperature dependence (10-40 K) and is visible only at low temperatures, compared to EPR-silent 1. Its comparison to a spin-integration standard reveals that 2 contains 2 equiv of Mn(II), which is in agreement with the formal oxidation state of 2Mn(II)2Mn(III) that was derived from the titration. The EPR and NMR data for 2 are consistent with a loss of two of the intermanganese spin-exchange coupling pathways, versus 1, which results in two "wingtip" Mn(II) S = 5/2 spins that are essentially magnetically uncoupled from the diamagnetic Mn2O2 base. Bond-enthalpy data, which show that O2 evolution via the reaction 1-->2 + O2, is strongly favored thermodynamically but is not observed in the ground state due to an activation barrier, are included. This activation barrier is hypothesized to arise, in part, from the constraining effect of the facially bridging phosphinate ligands.