A nickel (II) PY5 complex as an electrocatalyst for water oxidation

Summary, in English

A Ni-PY5 [PY5 = 2,6-bis(1,1-bis(2-pyridyl)ethyl)pyridine)] complex has been found to act as an electrocatalyst for oxidizing water to dioxygen in aqueous phosphate buffer solutions. The rate of water oxidation catalyzed by the Ni-PY5 is remarkably enhanced by the proton acceptor base HPO42−, with rate constant of 1820 M−1 s−1. Controlled potential bulk electrolysis with Ni-PY5 at pH 10.8 under an applied potential of 1.5 V vs. normal hydrogen electrode (NHE) resulted in dioxygen formation with a high faradaic efficiency over 90%. A detailed mechanistic study identifies the water nucleophilic attack pathway for water oxidation catalysis.

• Author: Lei Wang; Lele Duan; Ram B. Ambre; Quentin Daniel; Hong Chen; Junliang Sun; Biswanath Das; Anders Thapper; Jens Uhlig; Peter Dinér; Licheng Sun
• Department/s: Chemical Physics
• Publishing year: 2016-03-01
• Language: English
• Pages: 72-78
• Publication/Series: Journal of Catalysis
• Volume: 335
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcat.2015.12.003
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Topic: Physical Chemistry (including Surface- and Colloid Chemistry)
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 0021-9517