Free-base porphyrin polymer for bifunctional electrochemical water splitting

Water splitting is considered a promising approach for renewable and sustainable energy conversion. The development of water splitting electrocatalysts that have low-cost, long-lifetime, and high-performance is an important area of research for the sustainable generation of hydrogen and oxygen gas. Here, we report a metal-free porphyrin-based two-dimensional crystalline covalent organic polymer obtained from the condensation of terephthaloyl chloride and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-aminophenyl) porphyrin which is stabilized by an extensive hydrogen bonding network. This material exhibits bifunctional electrocatalytic performance towards water splitting with onset overpotentials, η, of 36 mV and 110 mV for HER (in 0.5 M H₂SO₄) and OER (in 1.0 M KOH), respectively. The as-synthesized material is also able to perform water splitting in neutral phosphate buffer saline solution, with 294 mV for HER and 520 mV for OER, respectively. Characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and chronoamperometry, the as-synthesized material also shows enhanced conductivity and stability compared to its molecular counterpart. Inserting a non-redox active zinc metal center in the porphyrin unit leads to a decrease in electrochemical activity towards both HER and OER, suggesting the four-nitrogen porphyrin core is the active site. The high performance of this metal-free material towards water splitting provides a sustainable alternative to the use of scarce and expensive metal electrocatalysts in energy conversion for industrial applications.

Water splitting is considered a promising approach for renewable and sustainable energy conversion.     

Photoinduced hydrogen evolution with water soluble bisviologen linked zinc porphyrin and hydrogenase

Water soluble bisviologen linked zinc porphyrin (ZnP(C₄V_AC₄V_B)₄) was synthesized and characterized. The quenching processes of the photoexcited singlet state and triplet state of ZnP(C₄V_AC₄V_B)₄ were measured by using fluorescence lifetime and laser flash photolysis. The photoexcited singlet state of the zinc porphyrin was quenched by the bonded bisviologen. Photoinduced hydrogen evolution with ZnP(C₄V_AC₄V_B)₄ and hydrogenase was observed under steady state irradiation.     

pKa of acetate in water: a computational study

Several computational methods including the conductor-like polarizable continuum model, CPCM with both UAKS and UAHF cavities, Cramer and Truhlar's generalized Born solvation model, SM5.4(AM1), SM5.4(PM3), and SM5.43R(mPW1PW91/6-31+G(d)), and mixed QM/MM-Ewald simulations were used to calculate the pK(a) values of acetate and bicarbonate anions in aqueous solution. This work provided a critical and comprehensive assessment of the quality of these theoretical models in the calculation of aqueous solvation free energies for the singly charged acetate and bicarbonate ions, as well as the doubly charged acetate dianion and carbonate dianion. It was shown that QM/MM-Ewald simulations could give an accurate and consistent evaluation of the pK(a) values of acetate and bicarbonate based on both the relative and absolute pK(a) formulas, while other methods could yield satisfactory results only for certain calculations. However, this does not mean that the current QM/MM-Ewald protocol is superior to other methods. The useful information obtained in this investigation is that both the absolute and relative pK(a) formulas should better be tested in accurate calculations of pK(a) values based on any methods.     

Long-time charge separation in porphyrin/KTa(Zr)O3 as water splitting photocatalyst

Artificial photosynthesis is one of the chemists' dreams and the separation of charges with long lives is fundamental for achieving artificial photosynthesis. In actual photosynthesis, Z-scheme excitation separates electronic charge with high efficiency using solar light. Here we report that photo-excitation in Cr-tetraphenylporphyrin chroride (Cr-TPPCl)/Zr doped KTaO(3) (KTa(Zr)O(3)) is analogous to the Z-scheme in photosynthesis, and that we achieve complete charge separation at room temperature. Photovoltaic decay and transient fluorescence spectra measurements showed that the photo-excited charge in KTa(Zr)O(3) transferred to the HOMO of Cr-TPPCl within a few hundred pico-seconds on charge transfer. In contrast, the reduced state of the Cr-TPPCl species that was formed by the electronic injection from KTa(Zr)O(3) was observed for more than 0.5 s at room temperature in the transient decay of the absorption spectra change after the initial excitation of KTa(Zr)O(3). The formed reduced state of Cr-TPPCl was highly stable and was detected by static ESR measurements.     

Monosilicon-substituted cyanoacetylene: a computational study

A detailed theoretical investigation of the [H,Si,C(2),N] potential energy surfaces including 28 minimum isomers and 65 interconversion transition states is reported at the Gaussian-3//B3LYP/6-31G(d) level. Generally, the triplet species lie energetically higher than the singlet ones. The former three low-lying isomers are linear HCCNSi 1 (0.00 kcal/mol), branched SiC(H)CN 12 (7.09 kcal/mol), and bent HNCCSi 7 (14.22 kcal/mol), which are separated by rather high barriers from each other and are kinetically very stable with the least conversion barriers of 32.6-70.5 kcal/mol. Two energetically high-lying isomers HCNCSi 3 (42.99 kcal/mol) and SiC(H)NC 13 (36.05 kcal/mol) are also kinetically stable with a barrier of 49.19 and 21.42 kcal/mol, respectively. Additionally, five high-lying isomers, that is, three chainlike isomers, HCCSiN 2 (55.17), HCSiNC 6 (47.80), HSiNCC 11 (78.83), and one three-membered ring isomer HN-cSiCC 19 (51.21), and one four-membered ring isomer cSiCN(H)C 27 (50.6 kcal/mol), are predicted to each have lower conversion barriers of 12-18 kcal/mol and can be considered as meta-stable species. All of the predicted 10 isomers could exist as stable or meta-stable intermediates under suitable conditions. Finally, the structural and bonding analysis indicate that the [H,Si,C(2),N] molecule contains various properties that are of chemical interest (e.g., silylene, SiC triple bonding, and conjugate SiN triple bonding and CC triple bonding, charge-transfer specie, planar aromatic specie, cumulate double bonding). This is the first detailed theoretical study on the potential energy surfaces of the series of hydrogenated Si,C,C,N-containing molecules. The knowledge of the present monohydrogenated SiC(2)N isomerism could provide useful information for more highly hydrogenated or larger Si,C(2),N-containing species.     

Interaction of adenine adducts with thymine: a computational study

The existence of DNA adducts bring the danger of carcinogenesis because of mispairing with normal DNA bases. 1,N6-ethenoadenine adducts (epsilonA) and 1,N6-ethanoadenine adducts (EA) have been considered as DNA adducts to study the interaction with thymine, as DNA base. Several different stable conformers for each type of adenine adduct with thymine, [epsilonA(1)-T(I), epsilonA(2)-T(I), epsilonA(3)-T(I) and EA(1)-T(I), EA(2)-T(I), EA(3)-T(I)] and [epsilonA(1)-T(II), epsilonA(2)-T(II), epsilonA(3)-T(II) and EA(1)-T(II), EA(2)-T(II), EA(3)-T(II)], have been considered with regard to their interactions. The differences in their geometrical structures, energetic properties, and hydrogen-bonding strengths have also been compared with Watson-Crick adenine-thymine base pair (A-T). Single-point energy calculations at MP2/6-311++G** levels on B3LYP/6-31+G* optimized geometries have also been carried out to better estimate the hydrogen-bonding strengths. The basis set superposition error corrected hydrogen-bonding strength sequence at MP2/6-311++G**//B3LYP/6-31+G* for the most stable complexes is found to be EA(2)-T(I) (15.30 kcal/mol) > EA(1)-T(II) (14.98 kcal/mol) > EA(3)-T(II) (14.68 kcal/mol) > epsilonA(2)-T(I) (14.54 kcal/mol) > epsilonA(3)-T(II) (14.22 kcal/mol) > epsilonA(3)-T(II) (13.64 kcal/mol) > A-T (13.62 kcal/mol). The calculated reaction enthalpy value for epsilonA(2)-T(I) is 10.05 kcal/mol, which is the highest among the etheno adduct-thymine complexes and about 1.55 kcal/mol more than those obtained for Watson-Crick A-T base pair and the reaction enthalpy value for EA(1)- T(II) is 10.22 kcal/mol, which is highest among the ethano addcut-thymine complexes and about 1.72 kcal/mol more than those obtained for Watson-Crick A-T base pair. The aim of this research is to provide fundamental understanding of adenine adduct and thymine interaction at the molecular level and to aid in future experimental studies toward finding the possible cause of DNA damage.     

Photoinduced decarboxylative benzylation of phthalimide triplets with phenyl acetates: a mechanistic study

The photodecarboxylative benzylation of N-alkyl, N-arylalkyl, and N-aryl phthalimides with arylacetic acids in aqueous solution proceeds via electron transfer from the arylalkanoate to the excited triplet state of the phthalimide, either formed directly or upon sensitization with acetone. The rate constant for triplet quenching of N-methylphthalimide is k(q) < 10(7) M(-1) s(-1) for 2-phenylacetic acid and k(q) = (1-3) x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) for its mono-, di- and trimethoxy-substituted derivatives, suggesting a change of the mechanism for the primary oxidation step from a Photo-Kolbe type reaction yielding an acyloxy radical to a pseudo-Photo-Kolbe process involving the formation of resonance-stabilized zwitterion radicals as intermediates.     

Carbonyl oxide chemistry in water cluster: An extended computational study

An extended computational approach has been utilized to explore the reactions of acids with carbonyl oxide, also known as Criegee intermediate (CI). The reactions were explored inside a water cluster containing 50 water molecules. All possibilities of product formation were considered. Among the considered acids, the rate of 1,4-insertion follows the order HCOO < HCl < HNO₃. The most stable products of the reactions between the considered acids and CI have been identified.     

Tautomerization of adenine facilitated by water: computational study of microsolvation

We present calculations for the mechanism and the barrier heights of tautomerization of adenine. We find various pathways for the 9(H) <--> 7(H) and 9(H) <--> 3(H) tautomerization. One mechanism for the 9(H) --> 7(H) tautomerization involves an sp(3)- or carbene-type intermediate, whereas the other proceeds via imine intermediates. Tautomerization from the 9(H) tautomer to 7(H) or 3(H) is predicted to occur with a very large activation barrier (60-70 kcal/mol), indicating that the processes may not occur readily in the gas phase. Interactions with the water molecule(s) are found to lower the barrier tremendously. We suggest that dramatic lowering of the 9(H) --> 3(H) and 9(H) --> 7(H) barriers by microsolvating water molecules may facilitate the formation and observation of the 7(H) and 3(H) tautomers in the solution phase.     

The SAMP alkylation: a computational study

In a computational study of a stereoselective C-C bond formation, the SAMP alkylation, a previously proposed S(E)2'-front mechanism is evaluated taking into account all current experimental evidence. Using semiempirical, density functional and perturbation theoretical methods, the structure of the key intermediate is revealed and the metalloretentive nature of the mechanism is explained. The experimental ee values of a range of reactions with different electrophiles and carbonyl sources can be correlated with calculated differences in activation energies. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the selectivity derives from the internal stabilization of the transition state 3_syn (corresponding to an electrophilic attack from above the lithiohydrazone plane) by electrophile-lithium interactions. The fast computational approach can be used best as a screening method which excludes less promising candidates to guide this synthetic method.     

H-bonded clusters in the trimethylamine/water system: a matrix isolation and computational study

The environmentally important interaction products of trimethylamine (TMA) and water molecules have been observed by Matrix Isolation Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (MIS-FTIR). Infrared spectra of solid argon matrix layers, in which both TMA and H(2)O molecules were entrapped as impurities, were analyzed for bands in the ν(O-H) region, not seen in matrix layers containing either of the parent molecules alone. Results were interpreted on the basis of the emergence of several spectral band pairs and their red shifts from the position of the matrix isolated H(2)O monomers as compared to semiempirically scaled frequencies from the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ calculations and empirical correlations with a large body of data on H-bonded complexes. Bands were assigned to a complex cluster of two TMA molecules flanking a closed ring of four H-bonded H(2)O molecules. The formation of this cluster is argued to be formed in the vapor phase (as opposed to being a result of diffusion of the trapped species) and is related to its large stabilization energy (enthalpy) because of strong cooperative effects in its H-bond system.     

The reaction of triplet nitrenes with oxygen: a computational study

Triplet carbenes react much more rapidly with oxygen than do triplet nitrenes. This trend is explained by DFT and MO calculations. [reaction: see text]     

Photoinduced electron transfer in platinum(II) terpyridinyl acetylide complexes connected to a porphyrin unit

A series of six new dyads consisting of a zinc or magnesium porphyrin appended to a platinum terpyridine acetylide complex via a para-phenylene bisacetylene spacer are described. Different substituents on the 4' position of the terpyridinyl ligand were explored (OC7H15, PO3Et2, and H). The ground-state electronic properties of the dyads are studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy and electrochemistry, and they indicate some electronic interactions between the porphyrin subunit and the platinum complex. The photophysical properties of these dyads were investigated by steady-state, time-resolved, and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy in N,N-dimethylformamide solution. Excitation of the porphyrin unit leads to a very rapid electron transfer (2-20 ps) to the nearby platinum complex followed by an ultrafast charge recombination, thus preventing any observation of the charge separated state. The variation in the rate of the photoinduced electron transfer in the series of dyads is consistent with Marcus theory. The results underscore the potential of the para-phenylene bisacetylene bridge to mediate a rapid electron transfer over a long donor-acceptor distance.     

Photoinduced electron transfer in alpha-cyclodextrin-based supramolecular dyads: a free-energy-dependence study

Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) between alpha-cyclodextrin-appended pyrene (PYCD) and a few acceptor molecules was studied in aqueous solutions. The pyrene moiety in PYCD is located above the narrower rim of the alpha-CD and is fully exposed to water. The acceptors are monocyclic organic molecules and, upon dissolution in water in the presence of PYCD, a fraction of the donor-acceptor systems is present as supramolecular dyads and the remaining fraction as free molecules. Free-energy-dependence studies showed that electron transfer in the supramolecular dyads follows the Marcus equation. The donor-acceptor coupling and the reorganization energy were determined from fits of the data to the Marcus equation. The electronic coupling was found to be similar to those reported for hydrogen-bonded systems. It appears that the actual lambdaout values are somewhat lower than values calculated with the continuum model. The experimental design has also allowed, for the first time, a visual demonstration of the inverted region on the basis of the raw fluorescence lifetime data.     

卟啉-富勒烯体系光激发电子转移的理论研究

在分子水平研究新型人工光俘获材料对于太阳能电池的发展具有重要意义。本文采用TD-DFT方法研究了卟啉-富勒烯(P-C60)体系的光诱导电子转移过程。该过程由三个过程组成:(1)光激发过程,P-C60由基态激发至卟啉局域激发(LE)态;(2)电荷分离(CS)过程形成卟啉至富勒烯的电荷转移(CT)态;(3)电荷重组(CR)过程,CT态返回到基态。我们通过分析分子轨道指认了LE态和CT,并获得了这两个激发态的结构。采用广义Mulliken-Hush(GMH)方法计算体系电荷分离和电荷重组过程的态态间电子耦合,和实验测量的电子转移速率获得定性一致的结果。本工作为分析、预测光诱导电荷转移过程提供了有效的手段。     

The generation of diazirinone: a computational study

Computational studies indicate that the reaction of p-nitrophenoxyfluorodiazirine with fluoride ion should generate diazirinone. However, fluoride ion also catalyzes the decomposition of diazirinone to carbon monoxide and nitrogen, so that the diazirinone is likely to be unstable to the conditions used to generate it.     

Azolylpentazoles as high-energy materials: a computational study

The structures of highly energetic substituted pentazole compounds and their decomposition to give dinitrogen and the corresponding azide were investigated by ab initio quantum chemical methods. The substituents include azolyl groups (five-membered aromatic rings with different numbers of nitrogen atoms), CH(3), CN, and F. The decomposition pathway was followed for several substituted azolyl- and phenylpentazoles and compared to the known experimental and theoretical results. The NMR parameters of most of the as-yet unknown pentazole compounds were predicted. The activation energy for the decomposition increases, while the decomposition energy of the substituted pentazole decreases with greater electron-donating character of the substituent of the pentazole. Thus, anionic pentazoles are more stable than neutral pentazoles. Methylpentazole is predicted to be among the most stable pentazoles, even though it does not contain an aromatic system.     

Maya blue: a computational and spectroscopic study

Maya Blue pigment, used in pre-Colombian America by the ancient Mayas, is a complex between the clay palygorskite and the indigo dye. The pigment can be manufactured by mixing palygorskite and indigo and heating to T > 120 degrees C. The most quoted hypothesis states that the dye molecules enter the microchannels which permeate the clay structure, thus creating a stable complex. Maya Blue shows a remarkable chemical stability, presumably caused by interactions formed between indigo and clay surfaces. This work aims at studying the nature of these interactions by means of computational and spectroscopic techniques. The encapsulation of indigo inside the clay framework was tested by means of molecular modeling techniques. The calculation of the reaction energies confirmed that the formation of the clay-organic complex can occur only if palygorskite is heated at temperatures well above the water desorption step, when the release of water is entropically favored. H-bonds between the clay framework and the indigo were detected by means of spectroscopic methods. FTIR spectroscopy on outgassed palygorskite and freshly synthesized Maya Blue samples showed that the presence of indigo modifies the spectroscopic features of both structural and zeolitic water, although no clear bands of the dye groups could be observed, presumably due to its very low concentration. The positions and intensities of delta(H2O) and nu(H2O) modes showed that part of the structural water molecules interact via a hydrogen bond with the C=O or N-H groups of indigo. Micro-Raman spectra clearly evidenced the presence of indigo both in original and in freshly synthesized Maya Blue. The nu(C=O) symmetric mode of Maya Blue red-shifts with respect to pure indigo, as the result of the formation of H-bonds with the nearest clay structural water. Ab initio quantum methods were applied on the indigo molecule, both isolated and linked through H-bonds with water, to calculate the magnitude of the expected vibrational shifts. Calculated and experimental vibrational shifts appeared to be in good agreement. The presence of a peak at 17.8 ppm and the shift of the N-H signal in the 1H MAS NMR spectrum of Maya Blue provide evidence of hydrogen bond interactions between indigo and palygorskite in agreement with IR and ab initio methods.     

Silaaromaticity in polycyclic systems: a computational study

Density functional theory (B3LYP) calculations were performed to examine the effect of Si substitution on the aromaticity of some polycyclic hydrocarbons using geometric criterion (HOMA), isodesmic isomerization reactions, homodesmotic equations, NICS values, chemical hardness, and out-of-plane distortive tendencies. The HOMA values are lower and the NICS values are higher in the Si-substituted rings compared to those in the hydrocarbon counterpart, whereas the homodesmotic equations predict little loss of aromaticity upon Si replacement in polycylic systems. The chemical hardness values decrease and the out-of-plane distortive tendency increases upon silicon substitution. The relative energies of the positional isomers and the causative factors are analyzed. The high reactivity of some silaaromatics toward dimerization is explained based on local softness indices.