Aqueous rhodium(iii) hydrides and mononuclear rhodium(ii) complexes

Electrochemical Properties of a Rhodium(III) Mono-Terpyridyl Complex and Use as a Catalyst for Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution in Water

Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is considered one of the most promising fuels to decarbonize the industrial and transportation sectors, and its photocatalytic production from molecular catalysts is a research field that is still abounding. The search for new molecular catalysts for H₂ production with simple and easily synthesized ligands is still ongoing, and the terpyridine ligand with its particular electronic and coordination properties, is a good candidate to design new catalysts meeting these requirements. Herein, we have isolated the new mono-terpyridyl rhodium complex, [Rh^III(tpy)(CH₃CN)Cl₂](CF₃SO₃) (Rh-tpy), and shown that it can act as a catalyst for the light-induced proton reduction into H₂ in water in the presence of the [Ru(bpy)₃]Cl₂ (Ru) photosensitizer and ascorbate as sacrificial electron donor. Under photocatalytic conditions, in acetate buffer at pH 4.5 with 0.1 M of ascorbate and 530 μM of Ru, the Rh-tpy catalyst produces H₂ with turnover number versus catalyst (TON_Cat*) of 300 at a Rh concentration of 10 μM, and up to 1000 at a concentration of 1 μM. The photocatalytic performance of Ru/Rh-tpy/HA^-/H₂A has been also compared with that obtained with the bis-dimethyl-bipyridyl complex [Rh^III(dmbpy)₂Cl₂]⁺ (Rh2) as a catalyst in the same experimental conditions. The investigation of the electrochemical properties of Rh-tpy in DMF solvent reveals that the two-electrons reduced state of the complex, the square-planar [Rh^I(tpy)Cl] (Rh^I-tpy), is quantitatively electrogenerated by bulk electrolysis. This complex is stable for hours under an inert atmosphere owing to the π-acceptor property of the terpyridine ligand that stabilizes the low oxidation states of the rhodium, making this catalyst less prone to degrade during photocatalysis. The π-acceptor property of terpyridine also confers to the Rh-tpy catalyst a moderately negative reduction potential (Ep_c(Rh^III/Rh^I) = -0.83 V vs. SCE in DMF), making possible its reduction by the reduced state of Ru, [Ru^II(bpy)(bpy^•-)]⁺ (Ru^-) (E_1/2(Ru^II/Ru^-) = -1.50 V vs. SCE) generated by a reductive quenching of the Ru excited state (*Ru) by ascorbate during photocatalysis. A Stern-Volmer plot and transient absorption spectroscopy confirmed that the first step of the photocatalytic process is the reductive quenching of *Ru by ascorbate. The resulting reduced Ru species (Ru^-) were then able to activate the Rh^III-tpy H₂-evolving catalyst by reduction generating Rh^I-tpy, which can react with a proton on a sub-nanosecond time scale to form a Rh^III(H)-tpy hydride, the key intermediate for H₂ evolution.

Brønsted-Lowry Acid Strength of Metal Hydride and Dihydrogen Complexes

Transition metal hydride complexes are usually amphoteric, not only acting as hydride donors, but also as Brønsted-Lowry acids. A simple additive ligand acidity constant equation (LAC for short) allows the estimation of the acid dissociation constant Ka(LAC) of diamagnetic transition metal hydride and dihydrogen complexes. It is remarkably successful in systematizing diverse reports of over 450 reactions of acids with metal complexes and bases with metal hydrides and dihydrogen complexes, including catalytic cycles where these reactions are proposed or observed. There are links between pKa(LAC) and pKa(THF), pKa(DCM), pKa(MeCN) for neutral and cationic acids. For the groups from chromium to nickel, tables are provided that order the acidity of metal hydride and dihydrogen complexes from most acidic (pKa(LAC) -18) to least acidic (pKa(LAC) 50). Figures are constructed showing metal acids above the solvent pKa scales and organic acids below to summarize a large amount of information. Acid-base features are analyzed for catalysts from chromium to gold for ionic hydrogenations, bifunctional catalysts for hydrogen oxidation and evolution electrocatalysis, H/D exchange, olefin hydrogenation and isomerization, hydrogenation of ketones, aldehydes, imines, and carbon dioxide, hydrogenases and their model complexes, and palladium catalysts with hydride intermediates.

Formic acid as a hydrogen storage material – development of homogeneous catalysts for selective hydrogen release

Liquid energy: formic acid is an ideal candidate for catalytic release and storage of hydrogen.

Kinetics and mechanism of the reduction of a macrocyclic Rh(III) complex by chromium(II) ions: pH-controlled selectivity to rhodium(II) vs. rhodium(III) hydride

Aqueous chromium(II) ions reduce a macrocyclic Rh(III) complex L(1)(H(2)O)(2)Rh(3+) (L(1) = 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) to the hydride L(1)(H(2)O)RhH(2+) in two discrete, one-electron steps. The first step generates L(1)(H(2)O)Rh(2+) with kinetics that are first order in each rhodium(III) complex and Cr(H(2)O)(6)(2+), and inverse in [H(+)], k/M(-1) s(-1) = 0.065/(0.0031 + [H(+)]). Further reduction of L(1)(H(2)O)Rh(2+) to L(1)(H(2)O)RhH(2+) is kinetically independent of [H(+)], k/M(-1) s(-1) = 0.30. The difference in [H(+)] dependence allows relative rates of the two steps to be manipulated to generate either L(1)(H(2)O)Rh(2+) or L(1)(H(2)O)RhH(2+) as the final product.

Kinetics and mechanism of hydrogen-atom abstraction from rhodium hydrides by alkyl radicals in aqueous solutions

The kinetics of the reaction of benzyl radicals with [L(1)(H(2)O)RhH{D}](2+) (L(1)=1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) were studied directly by laser-flash photolysis. The rate constants for the two isotopologues, k=(9.3±0.6) × 10(7) M(-1) s(-1) (H) and (6.2±0.3) × 10(7) M(-1) s(-1) (D), lead to a kinetic isotope effect k(H)/k(D)=1.5±0.1. The same value was obtained from the relative yields of PhCH(3) and PhCH(2)D in a reaction of benzyl radicals with a mixture of rhodium hydride and deuteride. Similarly, the reaction of methyl radicals with {[L(1)(H(2)O)RhH](2+) + [L(1)(H(2)O)RhD](2+)} produced a mixture of CH(4) and CH(3)D that yielded k(H)/k(D)=1.42±0.07. The observed small normal isotope effects in both reactions are consistent with reduced sensitivity to isotopic substitution in very fast hydrogen-atom abstraction reactions. These data disprove a literature report claiming much slower kinetics and an inverse kinetic isotope effect for the reaction of methyl radicals with hydrides of L(1)Rh.

Mechanistic investigations of the iridium(III)-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols

The commercially available catalysts [(Cp*IrCl2)2] is employed with O2 as the terminal oxidant in the presence of catalytic amounts of Et3N for the aerobic oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols. A new mechanism for the Ir-catalyzed aerobic oxidation is also presented that suggests that the transition metal maintains its +3 oxidation state throughout the entire catalytic cycle.

Efficient catalytic decomposition of formic acid for the selective generation of H2 and H/D exchange with a water-soluble rhodium complex in aqueous solution

Formic acid (HCOOH) decomposes efficiently to afford H2 and CO2 selectively in the presence of a catalytic amount of a water-soluble rhodium aqua complex, [Rh(III)(Cp*)(bpy)(H2O)]2+ (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, bpy=2,2'-bipyridine) in aqueous solution at 298 K. No CO was produced in this catalytic decomposition of HCOOH. The decomposition rate reached a maximum value at pH 3.8. No deterioration of the catalyst was observed during the catalytic decomposition of HCOOH, and the catalytic activity remained the same for the repeated addition of HCOOH. The rhodium-hydride complex was detected as the catalytic active species that undergoes efficient H/D exchange with water. When the catalytic decomposition of HCOOH was performed in D2O, D2 was produced selectively. Such an efficient H/D exchange and the observation of a deuterium kinetic isotope effect in the catalytic decomposition of DCOOH in H2O provide valuable mechanistic insight into this efficient and selective decomposition process.