Hydrogen evolution driven by heteroatoms of bidentate N-heterocyclic ligands in iron(II) complexes

While Pt is considered the best catalyst for the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), it is evident that non-noble metal alternatives must be explored. In this regard, it is well known that the binding sites for non-noble metals play a pivotal role in facilitating efficient catalysis. Herein, we studied Fe(II) complexes with bidentate 2-(2'-pyridyl)benzoxazole (LO), 2-(2'-pyridyl)benzthiazole (LS), 2-(2'-pyridyl)benzimidazole (LNH), and 2-2'-bipyridyl (Lpy) ligands - by adding trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to their acetonitrile solution - in order to examine how their reactivity towards protons under reductive conditions could be impacted by the non-coordinating heteroatoms (S, O, N, or none). By applying this ligand series, we found that the reduction potentials relevant for HER correlate with ligand basicity in the presence of TFA. Moreover, DFT calculations underlined the importance of charge distribution in the ligand-based LUMO and LUMO+1 orbitals of the complexes, dependent on the heterocycle. Kinetic studies and controlled potential electrolysis - using TFA as a proton source - revealed HER activities for the complexes with LNH, LO, and LS of kobs = 0.03, 1.1, and 10.8 s-1 at overpotentials of 0.81, 0.76, and 0.79 V, respectively, and pointed towards a correlation between the kinetics of the reaction and the non-coordinating heteroatoms of the ligands. In particular, the activity was associated with the [Fe(LS/O/NH)2(S)2]2+ form (S = solvent or substrate molecule), and the rate-determining step involved the formation of [Fe(H-H)]+, during the weakening of Fe-H and CF3CO2-H bonds, according to the experimental and DFT results.

Enzymatic and Bioinspired Systems for Hydrogen Production

The extraordinary potential of hydrogen as a clean and sustainable fuel has sparked the interest of the scientific community to find environmentally friendly methods for its production. Biological catalysts are the most attractive solution, as they usually operate under mild conditions and do not produce carbon-containing byproducts. Hydrogenases promote reversible proton reduction to hydrogen in a variety of anoxic bacteria and algae, displaying unparallel catalytic performances. Attempts to use these sophisticated enzymes in scalable hydrogen production have been hampered by limitations associated with their production and stability. Inspired by nature, significant efforts have been made in the development of artificial systems able to promote the hydrogen evolution reaction, via either electrochemical or light-driven catalysis. Starting from small-molecule coordination compounds, peptide- and protein-based architectures have been constructed around the catalytic center with the aim of reproducing hydrogenase function into robust, efficient, and cost-effective catalysts. In this review, we first provide an overview of the structural and functional properties of hydrogenases, along with their integration in devices for hydrogen and energy production. Then, we describe the most recent advances in the development of homogeneous hydrogen evolution catalysts envisioned to mimic hydrogenases.

Hydroxyl-Decorated Diiron Complex as a [FeFe]-Hydrogenase Active Site Model Complex: Light-Driven Photocatalytic Activity and Heterogenization on Ethylene-Bridged Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica

A biomimetic model complex of the [FeFe]-hydrogenase active site (FeFeOH) with an ethylene bridge and a pendant hydroxyl group has been synthesized, characterized and evaluated as catalyst for the light-driven hydrogen production. The interaction of the hydroxyl group present in the complex with 3-isocyanopropyltriethoxysilane provided a carbamate triethoxysilane bearing a diiron dithiolate complex (NCOFeFe), thus becoming a potentially promising candidate for anchoring on heterogeneous supports. As a proof of concept, the NCOFeFe precursor was anchored by a grafting procedure into a periodic mesoporous organosilica with ethane bridges (EthanePMO@NCOFeFe). Both molecular and heterogenized complexes were tested as catalysts for light-driven hydrogen generation in aqueous solutions. The photocatalytic conditions were optimized for the homogenous complex by varying the reaction time, pH, amount of the catalyst or photosensitizer, photon flux, and the type of light source (light-emitting diode (LED) and Xe lamp). It was shown that the molecular FeFeOH diiron complex achieved a decent turnover number (TON) of 70 after 6 h, while NCOFeFe and EthanePMO@NCOFeFe had slightly lower activities showing TONs of 37 and 5 at 6 h, respectively.

H2 and carbon-heteroatom bond activation mediated by polarized heterobimetallic complexes

The field of heterobimetallic chemistry has rapidly expanded over the last decade. In addition to their interesting structural features, heterobimetallic structures have been found to facilitate a range of stoichiometric bond activations and catalytic processes. The accompanying review summarizes advances in this area since January of 2010. The review encompasses well-characterized heterobimetallic complexes, with a particular focus on mechanistic details surrounding their reactivity applications.

[FeFe]-Hydrogenases: maturation and reactivity of enzymatic systems and overview of biomimetic models

[FeFe]-hydrogenases recieved increasing interest in the last decades. This review summarises important findings regarding their enzymatic reactivity as well as inorganic models applied as electro- and photochemical catalysts.

Synthetic models of hydrogenases based on framework structures containing coordinating P, N-atoms as hydrogen energy electrocatalysts – from molecules to materials

Nowadays, hydrogen has become not only an extremely important chemical product but also a promising clean energy carrier for replacing fossil fuels. Production of molecular H2 through electrochemical hydrogen evolution reactions is crucial for the development of clean-energy technologies. The development of economically viable and efficient H2 production/oxidation catalysts is a key step in the creation of H2-based renewable energy infrastructure. Intrinsic limitations of both natural enzymes and synthetic materials have led researchers to explore enzyme-induced catalysts to realize a high current density at a low overpotential. In recent times, highly active widespread numerous electrocatalysts, both homogeneous or heterogeneous (immobilized on the electrode), such as transition metal complexes, heteroatom- or metal-doped nanocarbons, metal-organic frameworks, and other metal derivatives (calix [4] resorcinols, pectates, etc.), which are, to one extent or another, structural or functional analogs of hydrogenases, have been extensively studied as alternatives for Pt-based catalysts, demonstrating prospects for the development of a “hydrogen economy”. This mini-review generalizes some achievements in the field of development of new electrocatalysts for H2 production/oxidation and their application for fuel cells, mainly focuses on the consideration of the catalytic activity of M[P2N2]2 2+ (M = Ni, Fe) complexes and other nickel structures which have been recently obtained.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production by Hybrid Streptavidin-Diiron Catalysts

Hybrid protein-organometallic catalysts are being explored for selective catalysis of a number of reactions, because they utilize the complementary strengths of proteins and of organometallic complex. Herein, we present an artificial hydrogenase, StrepH2, built by incorporating a biotinylated [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase organometallic mimic within streptavidin. This strategy takes advantage of the remarkable strength and specificity of biotin-streptavidin recognition, which drives quantitative incorporation of the biotinylated diironhexacarbonyl center into streptavidin, as confirmed by UV/Vis spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. FTIR spectra of StrepH2 show characteristic peaks at shift values indicative of interactions between the catalyst and the protein scaffold. StrepH2 catalyzes proton reduction to hydrogen in aqueous media during photo- and electrocatalysis. Under photocatalytic conditions, the protein-embedded catalyst shows enhanced efficiency and prolonged activity compared to the isolated catalyst. Transient absorption spectroscopy data suggest a mechanism for the observed increase in activity underpinned by an observed longer lifetime for the catalytic species Fe^I Fe⁰ when incorporated within streptavidin compared to the biotinylated catalyst in solution.

Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation by Vesicle-Embedded [FeFe]Hydrogenase Mimics: A Mechanistic Study

Artificial photosynthesis—the direct photochemical generation of hydrogen from water—is a promising but scientifically challenging future technology. Because nature employs membranes for photodriven reactions, the aim of this work is to elucidate the effect of membranes on artificial photocatalysis. To do so, a combination of electrochemistry, photocatalysis, and time‐resolved spectroscopy on vesicle‐embedded [FeFe]hydrogenase mimics, driven by a ruthenium tris‐2,2′‐bipyridine photosensitizer, is reported. The membrane effects encountered can be summarized as follows: the presence of vesicles steers the reactivity of the [FeFe]‐benzodithiolate catalyst towards disproportionation, instead of protonation, due to membrane characteristics, such as providing a constant local effective pH, and concentrating and organizing species inside the membrane. The maximum turnover number is limited by photodegradation of the resting state in the catalytic cycle. Understanding these fundamental productive and destructive pathways in complex photochemical systems allows progress towards the development of efficient artificial leaves.

A photosynthesis-inspired supramolecular system: caging photosensitizer and photocatalyst in apoferritin

Inspired by the bioinorganic structure of natural [FeFe]-hydrogenase ([FeFe]-H₂ase) that possesses iron sulfur clusters to catalyze proton reduction to hydrogen (H₂), we design a supramolecular photosystem by sequentially integrating hydrophobic ruthenium complex (as a photosensitizer) and diiron dithiolate complex (as a photocatalyst) into the inner surface or cavity of apoferritin via noncovalent interactions. This platform allows photosensitizer and catalyst to localize in a close proximity and short-distance electron transfer process to occur within a confined space. The resulted uniform core-shell nanocomposites were stable and well dispersed in water, and showed enhanced H₂ generation activity in acidic solution as compared to the homogenous system without apoferritin participation.

Diiron Dithiolate Complex Induced Helical Structure of Histone and Application in Photochemical Hydrogen Generation

Very-lysine-rich calf thymus histone proteins form disordered structure and hydrophobic interaction-driven aggregates in weakly acidic solution. We reported that the conjugation of diiron dithiolate complex to the lysine residues induced formation of helical conformation and condensed nanoassemblies with a high loading capacity up to 18.7 wt %. The incorporated diiron dithiolate complex showed photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution in aqueous solutions, with a turnover number (based on [FeFe] catalyst moiety) up to 359 that was more than 6 times that of the free catalyst. The increase of helical conformation in proteins was well correlated to the increasing enhancement of photocatalytic activity. We demonstrated that the [FeFe]-hydrogenase-mimic biohybrid system based on the photocatalyst-induced protein conformational conversion and reassembly is efficient for hydrogen generation regardless of the relatively large size.

Electro- and Solar-Driven Fuel Synthesis with First Row Transition Metal Complexes

The synthesis of renewable fuels from abundant water or the greenhouse gas CO2 is a major step toward creating sustainable and scalable energy storage technologies. In the last few decades, much attention has focused on the development of nonprecious metal-based catalysts and, in more recent years, their integration in solid-state support materials and devices that operate in water. This review surveys the literature on 3d metal-based molecular catalysts and focuses on their immobilization on heterogeneous solid-state supports for electro-, photo-, and photoelectrocatalytic synthesis of fuels in aqueous media. The first sections highlight benchmark homogeneous systems using proton and CO2 reducing 3d transition metal catalysts as well as commonly employed methods for catalyst immobilization, including a discussion of supporting materials and anchoring groups. The subsequent sections elaborate on productive associations between molecular catalysts and a wide range of substrates based on carbon, quantum dots, metal oxide surfaces, and semiconductors. The molecule-material hybrid systems are organized as "dark" cathodes, colloidal photocatalysts, and photocathodes, and their figures of merit are discussed alongside system stability and catalyst integrity. The final section extends the scope of this review to prospects and challenges in targeting catalysis beyond "classical" H2 evolution and CO2 reduction to C1 products, by summarizing cases for higher-value products from N2 reduction, C x>1 products from CO2 utilization, and other reductive organic transformations.

Metal-complex chromophores for solar hydrogen generation

Solar H₂ generation from water has been intensively investigated as a clean method to convert solar energy into hydrogen fuel. During the past few decades, many studies have demonstrated that metal complexes can act as efficient photoactive materials for photocatalytic H₂ production. Here, we review the recent progress in the application of metal-complex chromophores to solar-to-H₂ conversion, including metal-complex photosensitizers and supramolecular photocatalysts. A brief overview of the fundamental principles of photocatalytic H₂ production is given. Then, different metal-complex photosensitizers and supramolecular photocatalysts are introduced in detail, and the most important factors that strictly determine their photocatalytic performance are also discussed. Finally, we illustrate some challenges and opportunities for future research in this promising area.

Thiomolybdate [Mo3S13]2−nanocluster: a molecular mimic of MoS2active sites for highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

As a MoS₂edge site mimic, the [Mo₃S₁₃]²⁻nanocluster can efficiently catalyze H₂evolution from a Ru(bpy)₃²⁺–H₂A molecular system under visible light.

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.

Synthesis of Diiron(I) Dithiolato Carbonyl Complexes

Virtually all organosulfur compounds react with Fe(0) carbonyls to give the title complexes. These reactions are reviewed in light of major advances over the past few decades, spurred by interest in Fe2(μ-SR)2(CO)x centers at the active sites of the [FeFe]-hydrogenase enzymes. The most useful synthetic route to Fe2(μ-SR)2(CO)6 involves the reaction of thiols with Fe2(CO)9 and Fe3(CO)12. Such reactions can proceed via mono-, di-, and triiron intermediates. The reactivity of Fe(0) carbonyls toward thiols is highly chemoselective, and the resulting dithiolato complexes are fairly rugged. Thus, many complexes tolerate further synthetic elaboration directed at the organic substituents. A second major route involves alkylation of Fe2(μ-S2)(CO)6, Fe2(μ-SH)2(CO)6, and Li2Fe2(μ-S)2(CO)6. This approach is especially useful for azadithiolates Fe2[(μ-SCH2)2NR](CO)6. Elaborate complexes arise via addition of the FeSH group to electrophilic alkenes, alkynes, and carbonyls. Although the first example of Fe2(μ-SR)2(CO)6 was prepared from ferrous reagents, ferrous compounds are infrequently used, although the Fe(II)(SR)2 + Fe(0) condensation reaction is promising. Almost invariably low-yielding, the reaction of Fe3(CO)12, S8, and a variety of unsaturated substrates results in C-H activation, affording otherwise inaccessible derivatives. Thiones and related C═S-containing reagents are highly reactive toward Fe(0), often giving complexes derived from substituted methanedithiolates and C-H activation.

Amphiphilic polymeric micelles as microreactors: improving the photocatalytic hydrogen production of the [FeFe]-hydrogenase mimic in water

An amphiphilic polymeric micelle is utilized as a microreactor to load a hydrophobic [FeFe]-hydrogenase mimic for photocatalytic hydrogen production in water.

Enhanced photocatalytic H2 production on CdS nanorods with simple molecular bidentate cobalt complexes as cocatalysts under visible light

A noble-metal-free photocatalytic hydrogen production system containing a simple bidentate cobalt Schiff base complex as the molecular cocatalyst, CdS nanorods as the photosensitizer, and ascorbic acid as the electron donor is reported in this paper.

A computational mechanistic investigation of hydrogen production in water using the [RhIII(dmbpy)2Cl2]+/[RuII(bpy)3]2+/ascorbic acid photocatalytic system

The involvement of the Rh^III(H) and Rh^II(H) hydride species in the mechanism of H₂ production could explain the high efficiency of the photocatalytic system.

Enhancement of the efficiency of photocatalytic reduction of protons to hydrogen via molecular assembly

Conspectus One of the best solutions for meeting future energy demands is the conversion of water into hydrogen fuel using solar energy. The splitting of water into molecular hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) using light involves two half-reactions: the oxidation of water to O2 and the reduction of protons to H2. To take advantage of the full range of the solar spectrum, researchers have extensively investigated artificial photosynthesis systems consisting of two photosensitizers and two catalysts with a Z-configuration: one photosensitizer-catalyst pair for H2 evolution and the other for O2 evolution. This type of complete artificial photosynthesis system is difficult to build and optimize; therefore, researchers typically study the reductive half-reaction and the oxidative half-reaction separately. To study the two half-reactions, researchers use a sacrificial electron donor to provide electrons for the reductive half-reaction, and a sacrificial electron acceptor to capture electrons for the oxidative half-reaction. After optimization, they can eliminate the added donors and acceptors as the two half reactions are coupled to a complete photocatalytic water spitting system. Most photocatalytic systems for the H2 evolution half-reaction consist of a photosensitizer, a catalyst, and a sacrificial electron donor. To promote photoinduced electron transfer and photocatalytic H2 production, these three components should be assembled together in a controlled manner. Researchers have struggled to design a photocatalytic system for H2 evolution that uses earth-abundant materials and is both efficient and durable. This Account reviews advances our laboratory has made in the development of new systems for photocatalytic H evolution that uses earth-abundant materials and is both efficient and durable. We used organometallic complexes and quantum-confined semiconductor nanocrystals (QDs) as photosensitizers, and [FeFe]-H2ase mimics and inorganic transition metal salts as catalysts to construct photocatalytic systems with sacrificial electron donors. Covalently linked Re(I) complex-[FeFe]-H2ase mimic dyads and ferrocene-Re(I) complex-[FeFe]-H2ase mimic triads could photocatalyze H2 production in organic solutions, but these photocatalytic systems tended to decompose. We also constructed several assemblies of CdTe and CdSe QDs as photosensitizers with [FeFe]-H2ase mimics as catalysts. These assemblies produced H2 in aqueous solutions photocatalytically and efficiently, with turnover numbers (TONs) up to tens of thousands. Assemblies of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-capped CdTe QDs with Co(2+) ions formed Coh-CdTe hollow nanospheres, and MPA capped-CdSe QDs with Ni(+) ions produced Nih-CdSe/CdS core/shell hybrids in situ in aqueous solutions upon irradiation. The resulting photocatalytic systems proved robust for H2 evolution. These systems showed excellent activity and impressive durability in the photocatalytic reaction, suggesting that they can serve as a valuable part of an overall water splitting system.

Photocatalytic hydrogen production using models of the iron-iron hydrogenase active site dispersed in micellar solution

Iron-thiolate complexes of the type [Fe2 (μ-bdt)(CO)6-x P(OMe3 )x ] (bdt=S2 C6 H4 =benzenedithiolate, x≤2) are simplified models of iron-iron hydrogenase enzymes. Recently, we have shown that these water-insoluble organometallic complexes, when included into micelles formed by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), are good catalysts for the electrochemical production of hydrogen in aqueous solutions at pH<6. We herein report that the all-CO derivative [Fe2 (μ-bdt)(CO)6 ] (1), owing to its comparatively low reduction potential, is also a robust molecular catalyst for visible-light-driven production of H2 in aqueous SDS solutions at pH 10.5. Irradiation at λ=455 nm of a system consisting of complex 1, Eosin Y as a sensitizer, and triethylamine as an electron donor produced up to 0.86 mL of H2 in 4.5 h, corresponding to a turnover number of 117 mol of H2 per mol of catalyst. In the presence of a large excess of sensitizer, the production of H2 lasted for more than 30 h, stressing the relative stability of complex 1 under the photocatalytic conditions used herein. Thermodynamic considerations and UV/Vis spectroscopy experiments suggest that the catalytic cycle begins with the photo-driven reduction of complex 1. The reduced intermediate reacts with a proton source to yield iron hydride. Subsequent reduction and protonation steps produce H2 , regenerating the starting complex. As a result, the iron-thiolate complex 1 is a versatile proton reduction catalyst that can utilize either solar or electrical energy inputs, providing a starting point for the construction of noble metal-free molecular systems for renewable H2 production.

Excited state properties of diiron dithiolate hydrides: implications in the unsensitized photocatalysis of H2 evolution

Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) have been used to investigate how visible light photons can excite an asymmetrically substituted diiron hydride, [Fe2(pdt)(μ-H)(CO)4dppv](+) (1(+), dppv = cis-1,2-C2H2(PPh2)2; pdt = 1,3-propanedithiolate), as well as the symmetric species [Fe2(pdt)(μ-H)(CO)4(PMe3)2](+) (2(+)), which are the first photocatalysts of proton reduction operating without employing sensitizers (Wang, W.; Rauchfuss, T. B.; Bertini, L.; Zampella, G.; J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134, 4525). Theoretical results illustrate that the peculiar reactivity associated to the excited states of 1(+) and 2(+) is compatible with three different scenarios: (i) it can arise from the movement of the hydride ligand from fully bridging to semibridging/terminal coordination, which is expected to be more reactive toward protons; (ii) reactivity could be related to cleavage of a Fe-S bond, which implies formation of a transient Fe penta-coordinate species that would trigger a facile turnstile hydride isomerization, if lifetime excitation is long enough; (iii) also in line with a Fe-S bond cleavage is the possibility that after excited state decay, a highly basic S center is protonated so that a species simultaneously containing S-H(δ+) and Fe-H(δ-) moieties is formed and, once reduced by a suitable electron donor, it can readily afford H2 plus an unprotonated form of the FeFe complex. This last possibility is consistent with (31)P NMR and IR solution data. All the three possibilities are compatible with the capability of 1(+) and 2(+) to perform photocatalysis of hydrogen evolving reaction (HER) without sensitizer. Moreover, even though it turned out difficult to discriminate among the three scenarios, especially because of the lack of experimental excitation lifetimes, it is worth underscoring that all of the three pathways represent a novelty regarding diiron carbonyl photoreactivity, which is usually associated with CO loss. Results provide also a rationale to the experimental observations which showed that the simultaneous presence of donor ligands (dppv in the case of 1(+)) and a H ligand in the coordination environment of diiron complexes is a key factor to prevent CO photodissociation and catalyze HER. Finally, the comparison of photoexcitation behavior of 1(+) and 2(+) allows a sort of generalization about the functioning of such hydride species.