Efficient molecular ruthenium catalysts containing anionic ligands for water oxidation

• Two new mononuclear Ru complexes RuII(bipa)(pic) 3 (1; H(2)bipa = 6-(1H-benzo[d] imidazol-2-yl) picolinic acid, pic = 4-picoline) and RuII(pbic)(pic) 3 (2; H(2)pbic = 2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-7-carboxylic acid, pic = 4-picoline) based on anionic ligands were successfully synthesized, and characterized using NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography. These catalysts showed high activities and stabilities in water oxidation in homogeneous systems with a high turnover number of 2100 and a turnover frequency of 0.21 s(-1) for complex 1. The O-O band formation mechanism involved water nucleophilic attack. An active catalytic intermediate, i.e., RuIV-OH, was detected using high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

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ref (subject category)

art (subject category)