Electrocatalytic reduction of Molecular Oxygen with a Copper (II) Coordination Polymer

Oxygen reduction at the polarized water/1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface catalyzed by a Cu (II) coordination polymer (Cu–pol) was studied with two lipophilic electron donors ferrocene (Fc) and tetrathiafulvalene (TTF). The results of the ion transfer voltammetry and two-phase shake flask experiments suggest proceeding of the catalytic reaction as proton-coupled electron transfer reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide and water. In this process, while the protons supplied from the aqueous phase, the electrons provided from the organic phase by the weak electron donor, Fc. The O₂ molecule takes a superoxide structure with Cu–pol which resulted to hydrogen peroxide or water on reduction. Furthermore, the results revealed that the apparent rate constant of TTF + Cu-pol is higher than that of Fc + Cu-pol system due to the faster kinetic reaction of TTF with respect to Fc.