Inside Back Cover

This cover picture describes that MOF-based artificial and semi-artificial photosynthesis systems have been sustainably catalyzing the CO₂ reduction, H₂ evolution, and other chemical processes upon sun-light irradiation. In such a way, our Earth was successfully protected from pollution and energy crisis due to the depletion of fossil fuels and excessive CO₂ emission. More details are discussed in the article by Li et al. on page 335–354.

     

Challenges and Perspectives in Designing Artificial Photosynthetic Systems

The development of artificial photosynthetic systems for water splitting and CO₂ reduction on a large scale for practical applications is the ultimate goal towards worldwide sustainability. This Concept highlights the state‐of‐the‐art research trends of artificial photosynthesis concepts and designs from some new perspectives. Particularly, it is focused on five important aspects for the design of promising artificial photosynthetic systems: 1) catalyst development, 2) architecture design, 3) device buildup 4) mechanism exploration, and 5) theoretical investigations. Some typical progress and challenges, the most significant milestones achieved to date, as well as possible future directions are illustrated and discussed. This Concept article presents a selection of new developments to highlight new trends and possibilities, main barriers, or challenges; with this, we hope to inspire more advances in the field of artificial photosynthesis.     

Interrogation of cobaloxime-based supramolecular photocatalyst architectures

This perspective provides a discussion of recent work focused on elucidating the fundamental interactions of artificial photosynthesis in newly developed supramolecular photocatalysts composed of linked chromophore and catalyst modules. Supramolecular photocatalyst architectures are of particular interest because of their potential to overcome many of the limitations of molecular or multimolecular systems and amenability to conventional and emerging physical characterization techniques. As such, changes to the oxidation state and/or physical structure of either chromophore or catalyst modules in response to light excitation is readily monitored with high spatial and temporal resolution. To illustrate this approach, the design evolution of photocatalysts based on Ru(II)poly(pyridyl) chromophores linked to cobaloxime-based H₂ catalysts is discussed. In this work, new synthesis, transient optical spectroscopy, and X-ray scattering were combined to develop next generation photocatalysts capable of ultrafast charge transfer and identification of a key intermediate for hydrogen photocatalysis. Recent and upcoming advances in light source capabilities are ideally suited to monitor light-generated transient structures and well-poised to dramatically impact the drive toward technologically relevant systems for artificial photosynthesis.     

Semiconductor/Covalent‐Organic‐Framework Z‐Scheme Heterojunctions for Artificial Photosynthesis

A strategy to covalently connect crystalline covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with semiconductors to create stable organic–inorganic Z‐scheme heterojunctions for artificial photosynthesis is presented. A series of COF–semiconductor Z‐scheme photocatalysts combining water‐oxidation semiconductors (TiO₂, Bi₂WO₆, and α‐Fe₂O₃) with CO₂ reduction COFs (COF‐316/318) was synthesized and exhibited high photocatalytic CO₂‐to‐CO conversion efficiencies (up to 69.67 μmol g^?1 h^?1), with H₂O as the electron donor in the gas–solid CO₂ reduction, without additional photosensitizers and sacrificial agents. This is the first report of covalently bonded COF/inorganic‐semiconductor systems utilizing the Z‐scheme applied for artificial photosynthesis. Experiments and calculations confirmed efficient semiconductor‐to‐COF electron transfer by covalent coupling, resulting in electron accumulation in the cyano/pyridine moieties of the COF for CO₂ reduction and holes in the semiconductor for H₂O oxidation, thus mimicking natural photosynthesis.     

Molecular Level Modulation of Anthraquinone-containing Resorcinol-formaldehyde Resin Photocatalysts for H2O2 Production with Exceeding 1.2 % Efficiency

Designing polymeric photocatalysts at the molecular level to modulate the photogenerated charge behavior is a promising and challenging strategy for efficient hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) photosynthesis. Here, we introduce electron-deficient 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone (DHAQ) into the framework of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) resin, which modulates the donor/acceptor ratio from the perspective of molecular design for promoting the charge separation. Interestingly, H₂O₂ can be produced via oxygen reduction and water oxidation pathways, verified by isotopic labeling and in situ characterization techniques. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate that DHAQ can reduce the energy barrier for H₂O₂ production. RF-DHAQ exhibits excellent overall photosynthesis of H₂O₂ with a solar-to-chemical conversion (SCC) efficiency exceeding 1.2 %. This work opens a new avenue to design polymeric photocatalysts at the molecular level for high-efficiency artificial photosynthesis.     

A rationally designed two-dimensional MoSe2/Ti2CO2 heterojunction for photocatalytic overall water splitting: simultaneously suppressing electron–hole recombination and photocorrosion

Electron–hole recombination and photocorrosion are two challenges that seriously limit the application of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) for photocatalytic water splitting. In this work, we propose a 2D van der Waals MoSe₂/Ti₂CO₂ heterojunction that features promising resistance to both electron–hole recombination and photocorrosion existing in TMDs. By means of first-principles calculations, the MoSe₂/Ti₂CO₂ heterojunction is demonstrated to be a direct Z-scheme photocatalyst for overall water splitting with MoSe₂ and Ti₂CO₂ serving as photocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, respectively, which is beneficial to electron–hole separation. The ultrafast migration of photo-generated holes from MoSe₂ to Ti₂CO₂ as well as the anti-photocorrosion ability of Ti₂CO₂ are responsible for photocatalytic stability. This heterojunction is experimentally reachable and exhibits a high solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 12%. The strategy proposed here paves the way for developing 2D photocatalysts for water splitting with high performance and stability in experiments.

The two challenges of electron–hole recombination and photocorrosion for two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides in the application of photocatalytic water splitting are simultaneously suppressed by rational design of heterojunctions.     

Pigment–Acceptor–Catalyst Triads for Photochemical Hydrogen Evolution

In order to solve the problems of global warming and shortage of fossil fuels, researchers have been endeavoring to achieve artificial photosynthesis: splitting water into H₂ and O₂ under solar light illumination. Our group has recently invented a unique system that drives photoinduced water reduction through “Z‐scheme” photosynthetic pathways. Nevertheless, that system still suffered from a low turnover number (TON) of the photocatalytic cycle (TON=4.1). We have now found and describe herein a new methodology to make significant improvements in the TON, up to around TON=14–27. For the new model systems reported herein, the quantum efficiency of the second photoinduced step in the Z‐scheme photosynthesis is dramatically improved by introducing multiviologen tethers to temporarily collect the high‐energy electron generated in the first photoinduced step. These are unique examples of “pigment–acceptor–catalyst triads”, which demonstrate a new effective type of artificial photosynthesis.     

Artificial photosynthetic antennas and reaction centers

Presently, the world is experiencing an unprecedented crisis associated with the CO₂ produced by the use of fossil fuels to power our economies. As evidenced by the increasing levels in the atmosphere, the reduction of CO₂ to biomass by photosynthesis cannot keep pace with production with the result that nature has lost control of the global carbon cycle. In order to restore control of the global carbon cycle to solar-driven processes, highly efficient artificial photosynthesis can augment photosynthesis in specific ways and places. The increased efficiency of artificial photosynthesis can provide both renewable carbon-based fuels and lower net atmospheric levels of CO₂, which will preserve land and support the ecosystem services upon which all life on Earth depends. The development of artificial photosynthetic antennas and reaction centers contributes to the understanding of natural photosynthesis and to the knowledge base necessary for the development of future scalable technologies. This review focuses on the design and study of molecular and hybrid molecular-semiconductor nanoparticle based systems, all of which are inspired by functions found in photosynthesis and some of which are inspired by components of photosynthesis. In addition to constructs illustrating energy transfer, photoinduced electron transfer, charge shift reactions and proton coupled electron transfer, our review covers systems that produce proton motive force.     

Integration of [(Co(bpy)3]2+ Electron Mediator with Heterogeneous Photocatalysts for CO2 Conversion

An efficient chemical system for electron generation and transfer is constructed by the integration of an electron mediator ([Co(bpy)₃]²⁺; bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine) with semiconductor photocatalysts. The introduction of [Co(bpy)₃]²⁺ remarkably enhances the photocatalytic activity of pristine semiconductor photocatalysts for heterogeneous CO₂ conversion; this is attributable to the acceleration of charge separation. Of particular interest is that the excellent photocatalytic activity of heterogeneous catalysts can be developed as a universal photocatalytic CO₂ reduction system. The present findings clearly demonstrate that the integration of an electron mediator with semiconductors is a feasible process for the design and development of efficient photochemical systems for CO₂ conversion.     

Thin Film Growth of 3D Sr-based Metal-Organic Framework on Conductive Glass via Electrochemical Deposition

Integration of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as components of advanced electronic devices is at a very early phase of development and the fundamental issues related to their crystal growth on conductive substrate need to be addressed. Herein, we report on the structural characterization of a newly synthesized Sr-based MOF {[Sr(2,5-Pzdc)(H₂O)₂] ⋅ 3 H₂O}_n ( 1 ) and the uniform crystal growth of compound 1 on a conducting glass (fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO)) substrate using electrochemical deposition techniques. The Sr-based MOF 1 was synthesized by the reaction of Sr(NO₃)₂ with 2,5-pyrazinedicarboxylic acid dihydrate (2,5-Pzdc) under solvothermal conditions. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that 1 has a 3D structure and crystallizes in the triclinic P space group. In addition, the uniform crystal growth of this MOF on a conducting glass (FTO) substrate was successfully achieved using electrochemical deposition techniques. Only a handful of MOFs have been reposed to grown on conductive surfaces, which makes this study an important focal point for future research on the applications of MOF-based devices in microelectronics.     

Semiconductor/Covalent-Organic-Framework Z-Scheme Heterojunctions for Artificial Photosynthesis

A strategy to covalently connect crystalline covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with semiconductors to create stable organic–inorganic Z-scheme heterojunctions for artificial photosynthesis is presented. A series of COF–semiconductor Z-scheme photocatalysts combining water-oxidation semiconductors (TiO₂, Bi₂WO₆, and α-Fe₂O₃) with CO₂ reduction COFs (COF-316/318) was synthesized and exhibited high photocatalytic CO₂-to-CO conversion efficiencies (up to 69.67 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹), with H₂O as the electron donor in the gas–solid CO₂ reduction, without additional photosensitizers and sacrificial agents. This is the first report of covalently bonded COF/inorganic-semiconductor systems utilizing the Z-scheme applied for artificial photosynthesis. Experiments and calculations confirmed efficient semiconductor-to-COF electron transfer by covalent coupling, resulting in electron accumulation in the cyano/pyridine moieties of the COF for CO₂ reduction and holes in the semiconductor for H₂O oxidation, thus mimicking natural photosynthesis.     

Self-assembled metallasupramolecular cages towards light harvesting systems for oxidative cyclization

Designing artificial light harvesting systems with the ability to utilize the output energy for fruitful application in aqueous medium is an intriguing topic for the development of clean and sustainable energy. We report here facile synthesis of three prismatic molecular cages as imminent supramolecular optoelectronic materials via two-component coordination-driven self-assembly of a new tetra-imidazole donor (L) in combination with 180°/120° di-platinum(ii) acceptors. Self-assembly of 180° trans-Pt(ii) acceptors A1 and A2 with L leads to the formation of cages Pt₄L₂(1a) and Pt₈L₂(2a) respectively, while 120°-Pt(ii) acceptor A3 with L gives the Pt₈L₂(3a) metallacage. PF₆⁻ analogues (1b, 2b and 3b) of the metallacages possess a high molar extinction coefficient and large Stokes shift. 1b–3b are weakly emissive in dilute solution but showed aggregation induced emission (AIE) in a water/MeCN mixture as well as in the solid state. AIE active 2b and 3b in aqueous (90% water/MeCN mixture) medium act as donors for fabricating artificial light harvesting systems via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) with organic dye rhodamine-B (RhB) with high energy efficiency and good antenna effect. The metallacages 2b and 3b represent an interesting platform to fabricate new generation supramolecular aqueous light harvesting systems with high antenna effect. Finally, the harvested energy of the LHSs (2b + RhB) and (3b + RhB) was utilized successfully for efficient visible light induced photo-oxidative cross coupling cyclization of N,N-dimethylaniline (4) with a series of N-alkyl/aryl maleimides (5) in aqueous acetonitrile with dramatic enhancement in yields compared to the reactions with RhB or cages alone.

Synthesis of Pt(ii) based metallacages as aggregation induced emissive supramolecular architectures for fabricating artificial light harvesting systems for cross coupling cyclization under visible light is achieved.     

Heterogeneous Molecular Systems for Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction with Water Oxidation

Artificial photosynthesis—reduction of CO₂ into chemicals and fuels with water oxidation in the presence of sunlight as the energy source—mimics natural photosynthesis in green plants, and is considered to have a significant part to play in future energy supply and protection of our environment. The high quantum efficiency and easy manipulation of heterogeneous molecular photosystems based on metal complexes enables them to act as promising platforms to achieve efficient conversion of solar energy. This Review describes recent developments in the heterogenization of such photocatalysts. The latest state‐of‐the‐art approaches to overcome the drawbacks of low durability and inconvenient practical application in homogeneous molecular systems are presented. The coupling of photocatalytic CO₂ reduction with water oxidation through molecular devices to mimic natural photosynthesis is also discussed.     

Metal-Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Water Splitting and CO2 Reduction

Photocatalytic water splitting and carbon dioxide (CO₂) reduction provide promising solutions to global energy and environmental issues. In recent years, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of crystalline porous solids featuring well-defined and tailorable structures as well as high surface areas, have captured great interest toward photocatalytic water splitting and CO₂ reduction. In this review, the semiconductor-like behavior of MOFs is first discussed. We then summarize the recent advances in photocatalytic water splitting and CO₂ reduction over MOF-based materials and focus on the unique advantage of MOFs for clarifying the structure-property relationship in photocatalysis. In addition, some representative characterization techniques have been presented to unveil the photocatalytic kinetics and reaction intermediates in MOF-based systems. Finally, the challenges, and perspectives for future directions are proposed.     

Synthesis,Structure and Nickel Carbonyl Complexes of Dialkylterphenyl Phosphines

The experimental and computational characterization of a series of dialkylterphenyl phosphines, PR₂Ar′ is described. The new P-donors comprise five compounds of general formula PR₂Ar (R=Me, Et, iPr, c-C₅H₉ and c-C₆H₁₁); Ar = 2,6-C₆H₃-(3,5-C₆H₃-(CMe₃)₂)₂), and another five PR₂Ar′ phosphines containing the bulky alkyl groups iPr, c-C₅H₉ or c-C₆H₁₁, in combination with Ar′=Ar , Ar , or Ar ( L1 – L10 ). Steric and electronic parameters have been determined computationally and from IR and X-ray data obtained for the phosphines and for some derivatives, including tricarbonyl and dicarbonyl nickel complexes, Ni(CO)₃(PR₂Ar′) and Ni(CO)₂(PR₂Ar′). In the solid state, the free phosphines PR₂Ar′ adopt one of the three possible structures formally related by rotation around the C_ipso−P bond. Details on their relative energies and on the influence of the free phosphine structure on its coordination chemistry towards Ni(CO)_n (n = 2, 3) fragments has been obtained by experimental and computational methods.     

Singlet-Triplet Excited-State Inversion in Heptazine and Related Molecules: Assessment of TD-DFT and ab initio Methods

We have investigated the origin of the S₁-T₁ energy levels inversion for heptazine, and other N-doped π-conjugated hydrocarbons, leading thus to an unusually negative singlet-triplet energy gap ( ). Since this inversion might rely on substantial doubly-excited configurations to the S₁ and/or T₁ wavefunctions, we have systematically applied multi-configurational SA-CASSCF and SC-NEVPT2 methods, SCS-corrected CC2 and ADC(2) approaches, and linear-response TD-DFT, to analyze if the latter method could also face this challenging issue. We have also extended the study to B-doped π-conjugated systems, to see the effect of chemical composition on the results. For all the systems studied, an intricate interplay between the singlet-triplet exchange interaction, the influence of doubly-excited configurations, and the impact of dynamic correlation effects, serves to explain the values found for most of the compounds, which is not predicted by TD-DFT.     

Grafting Molecular Cobalt‐oxo Cubane Catalyst on Polymeric Carbon Nitride for Efficient Photocatalytic Water Oxidation

In this work, we have successfully constructed a cobalt–oxo (Co^III₄O₄) cubane complex on polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) through pyridine linkage. The covalently grafted Co^III₄O₄ cubane units were uniformly distributed on the PCN surface. The product exhibited greatly enhanced photocatalytic activities for water oxidation under visible‐light irradiation. Further characterizations and spectroscopic analyses revealed that the grafted Co^III₄O₄ cubane units could effectively capture the photogenerated holes from excited PCN, lower the overpotential of oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and serve as efficient catalysts to promote the multi‐electron water oxidation process. This work provides new insight into the future development of efficient photocatalysts by grafting molecular catalysts for artificial photosynthesis.     

NMR Self-Diffusion and Transverse Relaxation Time in Bitumen: The Effect of Aging

In this investigation the dynamics of two types of bitumens with different penetration grade were tested by using dynamic shear rheometry (DSR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) at unaged conditions, and upon both short- and long-term artificial aging. The gel-sol transition temperature was found to increase with increasing the time of aging treatment. Arrhenius parameters of the viscosity were found, unexpectedly, to be correlated with those of simple liquids, suggesting that the two kinds of systems, although chemically and physically quite different, share the same basic process at the molecular level. The molecular dynamics has been then investigated by NMR Pulsed Field Gradient Stimulated-Echo (PFGSE) and relaxometry (Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill, CPMG, spin-echo pulse sequence) to capture the effect of aging upon dynamics variables such as self-diffusion coefficients D and transverse relaxation times T₂. The translational diffusion at T> of the light molecular components of both types of bitumens was characterized by broad distributions of D which were found independent of the experimental time scale up to 0.2 s. Similarly, T₂ data could be described as a continuous unimodal distributions of relaxation times determined both at T< and T> .     

Twist and sliding dynamics between interpenetrated frames in Ti-MOF revealing high proton conductivity

We report the design and synthesis of a titanium catecholate framework, MOF-217, comprised of 2,4,6-tri(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TDHT) and isolated TiO₆ clusters, with 2-fold interpenetrated srs topology. The dynamics of the organic linker, breaking the C_3h symmetry, allowed for reversible twist and sliding between interpenetrated frames upon temperature change and the inclusion of small molecules. Introduction of 28 wt% imidazole into the pores of MOF-217, 28% Im-in-MOF-217, resulted in four orders of magnitude increase in proton conductivity, due to the appropriate accommodation of imidazole molecules and their proton transfer facilitated by the H-bond to the MOF structure across the pores. This MOF-based proton conductor can be operated at 100 °C with a proton conductivity of 1.1 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹, standing among the best performing anhydrous MOF proton conductors at elevated temperature. The interframe dynamics represents a unique feature of MOFs that can be accessed in the future design of proton conductors.

Twist and sliding dynamics observed in a titanium catecholate MOF induced by imidazole for efficient proton conduction.     

Front Cover: Critical Assessment of pH-Dependent Lipophilicity Profiles of Small Molecules: Which One Should We Use and In Which Cases? (ChemPhysChem 24/2023)

Lipophilicity is a physicochemical property with wide relevance in drug design, computational biology, food, environmental and medicinal chemistry. Lipophilicity is commonly expressed as the partition coefficient for neutral molecules, whereas for molecules with ionizable groups, the distribution coefficient (D) at a given pH is used. The logD_pH is usually predicted using a pH correction over the logP_N using the pK_a of ionizable molecules, while often ignoring the apparent ion pair partitioning . In this work, we studied the impact of on the prediction of both the experimental lipophilicity of small molecules and experimental lipophilicity-based applications and metrics such as lipophilic efficiency (LipE), distribution of spiked drugs in milk products, and pH-dependent partition of water contaminants in synthetic passive samples such as silicones. Our findings show that better predictions are obtained by considering the apparent ion pair partitioning. In this context, we developed machine learning algorithms to determine the cases that should be considered. The results indicate that small, rigid, and unsaturated molecules with logP_N close to zero, which present a significant proportion of ionic species in the aqueous phase, were better modeled using the apparent ion pair partitioning . Finally, our findings can serve as guidance to the scientific community working in early-stage drug design, food, and environmental chemistry.