A Molecular Copper Catalyst for Electrochemical Water Reduction with a Large Hydrogen‐Generation Rate Constant in Aqueous Solution |
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| Authors: | Peili Zhang Prof Mei Wang Yong Yang Tianyi Yao Prof Licheng Sun |
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| Institution: | 1. State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, DUT‐KTH Joint Education and Research Center on Molecular Devices, Dalian University of Technology (DUT), 116024 Dalian (China);2. Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044 Stockholm (Sweden) |
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| Abstract: | The copper complex (bztpen)Cu](BF4)2 (bztpen=N‐benzyl‐N,N′,N′‐tris(pyridin‐2‐ylmethyl)ethylenediamine) displays high catalytic activity for electrochemical proton reduction in acidic aqueous solutions, with a calculated hydrogen‐generation rate constant (kobs) of over 10000 s?1. A turnover frequency (TOF) of 7000 h?1 cm?2 and a Faradaic efficiency of 96 % were obtained from a controlled potential electrolysis (CPE) experiment with (bztpen)Cu]2+ in pH 2.5 buffer solution at ?0.90 V versus the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) over two hours using a glassy carbon electrode. A mechanism involving two proton‐coupled reduction steps was proposed for the dihydrogen generation reaction catalyzed by (bztpen)Cu]2+. |
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| Keywords: | copper electrocatalysis hydrogen water reduction |
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