A Noble‐Metal‐Free System for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production from Water

A series of heteroleptic copper(I) complexes with bidentate $\widehat{PP}$ and $\widehat{NN}$ chelate ligands was prepared and successfully applied as photosensitizers in the light‐driven production of hydrogen, by using [Fe₃(CO)₁₂] as a water‐reduction catalyst (WRC). These systems efficiently reduces protons from water/THF/triethylamine mixtures, in which the amine serves as a sacrificial electron donor (SR). Turnover numbers (for H) up to 1330 were obtained with these fully noble‐metal‐free systems. The new complexes were electrochemically and photophysically characterized. They exhibited a correlation between the lifetimes of the MLCT excited state and their efficiency as photosensitizers in proton‐reduction systems. Within these experiments, considerably long excited‐state lifetimes of up to 54 μs were observed. Quenching studies with the SR, in the presence and absence of the WRC, showed that intramolecular deactivation was more efficient in the former case, thus suggesting the predominance of an oxidative quenching pathway.     

Analysis of voltammetric data for the evaluation of seasonal changes of the Ni, Cd, Pb and Cu content in atmospheric particulate PM2.5

In this paper, the preliminary results of a study on concentration of heavy metals in PM2.5 (atmospheric particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microm) fractions of atmospheric particulate matter, sampled in Milan, are presented. This work aims to develop an electroanalytical method to analyse Pb, Cu, Cd and Ni in PM2.5 and to investigate seasonal and weekly trends in the amount of PM2.5 and its composition for considered metals. The samples have been selected within the seasons ranging from September 2002 to November 2003 so that they represent the possible seasonal changes; the samples within this period have been chosen in order to have data relevant to both working days and holidays. The determination of Cd, Pb and Cu has been carried out by Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry, whereas the concentration of Ni has been determined by Differential Pulse Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry. The concentrations of the metals in the sampled atmosphere and in the PM2.5 have been evaluated; through ANOVA possible seasonal or weekly variations in the above cited concentrations have been investigated.