Synthesis,structure and electrocatalytic properties of a water‐soluble copper complex supported by 2‐ethyl‐2‐(2‐hydroxybenzylideneamino)propane‐1,3‐diol ligand

The reaction of 2‐ethyl‐2‐(2‐hydroxybenzylideneamino)propane‐1,3‐diol (H₃L) with CuCl₂⋅2H₂O affords a new copper complex, ClCu(H₂L)], which has been determined using X‐ray crystallography. In the solid, copper atom is four‐coordinated by two oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom from the ligand and one chlorine atom. Electrochemical studies show that the complex can act as an electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution from a dimethylformamide solution of acetic acid and a neutral buffer (pH = 7.0) with a turnover frequency of 46.2 and 482 moles of hydrogen per mole of catalyst per hour at an overpotential of 941.6 and 837.6 mV, respectively.