Multi-Electron-Transfer Catalysts Needed for Artificial Photosynthesis
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Multi-Electron-Transfer Catalysts Needed for Artificial Photosynthesis James Vickers1, Hongjin Lv1, Petro F. Zhuk2, Yurii V. Geletii1, and Craig L. Hill1 1
Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, U.S.A.
2
National Aviation University, Kiev, Ukraine
ABSTRACT
We report a study on catalytic water oxidation by cobalt in oxygen ligand environments because such systems are as promising as any in the water oxidation component of solar fuel production. We have re-examined the catalytic activity of Co(II) in aqueous solution using either [Ru(bpy)3]3+ as a stoichiometric oxidant or in visible-light-driven reactions with persulfate as a sacrificial electron acceptor. In both systems a distinctive induction period is observed. A simple kinetic model is proposed that describes the experimental data well. The presence of an induction period is explained by relatively slow formation of the true catalyst from aquacobalt(II).
INTRODUCTION Modern, urban life on this planet is based on energy obtained primarily (~80% in several developed countries) from fossil fuel. At the same time less than 0.02% of available solar energy is sufficient to entirely replace fossil fuels and nuclear power as an energy source. Photosynthetic organisms produce more than 100 billion tons of dry biomass annually with a low energy efficiency (
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