A Molecular Copper Catalyst for Electrochemical Water Reduction with a Large Hydrogen‐Generation Rate Constant in Aqueous Solution1. Issue 50 (14th October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Peili; Wang, Mei; Yang, Yong; Yao, Tianyi; Sun, Licheng
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie international edition. Volume 53:Issue 50(2014)
• Page Start: 13803
• Page End: 13807
• Publication Date: 2014-10-14
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201408266
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-7851

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>The copper complex [(bztpen)Cu](BF₄)₂ (bztpen=<italic>N</italic>‐benzyl‐<italic>N</italic>, <italic>N</italic>′, <italic>N</italic>′‐tris(pyridin‐2‐ylmethyl)ethylenediamine) displays high catalytic activity for electrochemical proton reduction in acidic aqueous solutions, with a calculated hydrogen‐generation rate constant (<italic>k</italic>_obs) 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⁺.</p> </abstract>