基于Ru-bda双核钌催化剂的可见光驱动水氧化

开发高效水氧化催化剂对于太阳能分解水制氢和 CO2还原都具有重要意义. 我们之前的研究表明, 基于 Ru-bda(bda= 2,2'-联吡啶-6,6'-二羧酸) 单体的双核钌催化剂在以 (NH4)2Ce(NO3)6为氧化剂的化学法水氧化反应中表现出良好的催化性能, 比相同条件下单核钌催化剂的活性高出一个数量级. 然而, 该类双核钌催化剂的光催化水氧化性能尚未被系统研究.因此我们考察了以丙烷桥双核钌配合物为催化剂、Ru(bpy)3]Cl2为光敏剂、Na2S2O8为电子牺牲体组成的三组分体系的光催化性能, 并和相应的单核钌催化剂进行了对比, 同时考察了溶液中乙腈的含量对单、双核钌分子催化剂光催化产氧性能和产氧机理的影响.实验结果表明, 无论是单核还是双核钌催化剂, 其催化活性与乙腈在磷酸缓冲溶液中的比例密切相关. 乙腈的含量不仅影响了水氧化的驱动力, 而且影响 O-O 的形成机理, 改变反应的动力学和反应速率. 单、双核钌催化剂的活性都随着乙腈比例的增加而增加, 然而双核钌催化剂在低乙腈含量的缓冲溶液中展现优于单核钌催化剂的光催化性能; 而在高乙腈含量的缓冲溶液中, 双核钌催化剂和单核钌催化剂的光催化性能趋于相当. 在最优化条件 (60% 乙腈) 下, 双核钌的光催化产氧 TON 值达到 638, 在 450 nm 的光量子效率达到 77%. 我们还发现, 当乙腈浓度较低时, 单核钌催化剂 Ru-bda 催化的水氧化反应为二级动力学; 当乙腈浓度较高时, 该催化剂在反应中表现为一级动力学. 从而推测 O-O 键的形成机制由双分子自由基耦合转变成单分子亲核进攻, 也解释了为什么高乙腈含量下单核和双核钌催化剂的活性差别不大. 本研究所展示的 Ru-bda 的溶剂效应可能同样适用于电化学和光电化学水氧化, 对深入理解和设计高效太阳能分解水器件具有重要意义.

Visible light-driven oxygen evolution using a binuclear Ru-bda catalyst

Binuclear ruthenium complexes bearing the 2,2'-bipyridine-6,6'-dicarboxylate (bda) ligand have been demonstrated to be highly active catalysts towards water oxidation with CeⅣ as an oxidant. However, the catalytic properties of ruthenium dimers have not yet been explored for visible light-driven water oxidation. Herein, the photocatalytic performance of a dipyridyl propane-bridged ruthenium dimer 2 was investigated in comparison with its monomeric precursor, Ru(bda)(pic)2] (1), in CH3CN/phosphate buffer mixed solvent in a three-component system including a photosensi-tizer and a sacrificial electron acceptor. Experimental results showed that the activity of each cata-lyst was strongly dependent on the content of CH3CN in the phosphate buffer, which not only af-fected the driving force for water oxidation, but also altered the kinetics of the reaction, probably through different mechanisms associated with the O-O bond formation. As a result, dimer 2 showed significantly higher activity than monomer 1 in the solvent containing a low content of CH3CN, and comparable activities were attained with a high content of CH3CN in the solvent. Under the optimal conditions, complex 2 achieved a turnover number of 638 for photocatalytic O2evolution.