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Basic Research Needs for Solar Energy Utilization - Office of ...

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CATALYSTS FOR CO2 REDUCTION<br />

Photo-driven catalysts <strong>for</strong> CO2 reduction have made use <strong>of</strong><br />

the versatile photochemistry and redox properties <strong>of</strong> Ru<br />

complexes. Photo-excitation <strong>of</strong> Ru(bpy)3 2+ (below, top panel)<br />

results in <strong>for</strong>mation <strong>of</strong> an excited state that reacts readily with<br />

the sacrificial donor triethanolamine. The reduced Ru(bpy)3 +<br />

can then act as a source <strong>of</strong> electrons to drive a catalytic cycle<br />

<strong>of</strong> the type shown in the bottom panel below (Pugh et al.<br />

1991). In this cycle, another Ru complex catalyzes the<br />

reduction <strong>of</strong> CO2 to <strong>for</strong>mate ion. Input <strong>of</strong> electrons is required<br />

at two points in the overall cycle. The overall mechanism <strong>for</strong><br />

the catalytic reduction <strong>of</strong> CO2 is complex, so that a great deal<br />

<strong>of</strong> work remains to find optimal catalysts that are wellcoupled<br />

to the photochemical agents that use solar energy to<br />

provide a source <strong>of</strong> electrons to drive the catalysts.<br />

H 2O, CO2<br />

-.<br />

O<br />

hν<br />

N<br />

N<br />

O -<br />

N<br />

N<br />

e -<br />

N<br />

Ru<br />

N<br />

-<br />

CH3CN, HCO3 N<br />

N<br />

-.<br />

N<br />

N<br />

Ru<br />

CO<br />

NCCH3 CH 3CN<br />

2+<br />

0<br />

N(CH 2CH2OH)3<br />

N<br />

N<br />

N<br />

N<br />

N<br />

Ru<br />

H<br />

+<br />

N(CH2CH2OH) 3<br />

N<br />

-.<br />

CO<br />

N<br />

N<br />

Ru<br />

CO<br />

O H<br />

O<br />

decomposition<br />

products<br />

0<br />

+<br />

N<br />

N<br />

N<br />

N<br />

e -<br />

N<br />

Ru<br />

N<br />

N<br />

Ru<br />

H<br />

N<br />

N<br />

-.<br />

N<br />

CO<br />

+<br />

0<br />

CO 2<br />

45<br />

CATALYSTS FOR WATER OXIDATION<br />

Catalysts with sufficient oxidizing power to split water remain<br />

relatively rare. Yet, several recent catalysts based on Mn and<br />

Ru have demonstrated water oxidation following addition <strong>of</strong><br />

strong oxidants to access the higher oxidation states <strong>of</strong> these<br />

metals. As an example, the top panel shows the structure <strong>of</strong><br />

a Mn2 complex that generates O2 obtained from water using<br />

NaOCl as an added oxidant (Limberg et al. 1999). The<br />

mechanism <strong>of</strong> catalysis is shown in the lower panel. Thus far,<br />

the turnover frequencies and the stability <strong>of</strong> water oxidation<br />

catalysts remain low. In addition, coupling <strong>of</strong> a photo-driven<br />

oxidant to these catalysts has not been accomplished.

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