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A band-to-band transition visible-light-responsive N,F-codoped anatase TiO2 photocatalyst with low Ti3+ defects is prepared for water oxidation/reduction, CO2 reduction and Z-scheme overall water splitting under visible-light irradiation.

Supramolecular photosensitisers comprising a ring-shaped Re(i) tetranuclear complex and a Keggin-type heteropolyoxometalate were synthesised. They can photochemically accumulate four electrons and supply them for the photocatalytic CO2 reduction.

Excited-state dynamics of heteroleptic Cu(i) complexes were investigated using ultrafast emission spectroscopy. Initially, very fast ‘P-opening‘ structural change occurs, and it is followed by Jahn–Teller distortion with a time constant of 0.78 ps.

Developing mixed-anion semiconductors for solar fuel production has inspired extensive interest, but the nitrohalide-based photocatalyst is still in shortage. Here we report a layered nitro-halide β-ZrNBr with a narrow bandgap of ca. 2.3 eV and low defect density to exhibit multifunctionalities for photocatalytic water reduction, water oxidation and CO 2 reduction under visible-light irradiation. As confirmed by the results of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the formation of anion vacancies in the nitro-halide photocatalyst was inhibited due to its relatively high formation energy. Furthermore, performance of β-ZrNBr can be effectively promoted by a simple exfoliation into nanosheets to shorten the carrier transfer distance as well as to promote charge separation. Our work extends the territory of functional photocatalysts into the nitro-halide, which opens a new avenue for fabricating efficient artificial photosynthesis.

We have explored the structural factors on the photophysical properties in two rhenium(I) diimine complexes in acetonitrile solution, cis,trans-[Re(dmb)(CO)2(PPh2Et)2]+ (Et(2,2)) and cis,trans-[Re(dmb)(CO)2(PPh3)2]+ ((3,3)) (dmb = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, Ph = phenyl, Et = ethyl) using the combination method of time-resolved infrared spectroscopy, time-resolved extended X-ray absorption fine structure, and quantum chemical calculations. The difference between these complexes is the number of phenyl groups in the phosphine ligand, and this only indirectly affects the central Re(I). Despite this minor difference, the complexes exhibit large differences in emission wavelength and excited-state lifetime. Upon photoexcitation, the bond length of Re-P and angle of P-Re-P are significantly changed in both complexes, while the phenyl groups are largely rotated by ∼20° only in (3,3). In contrast, there is little change in charge distribution on the phenyl groups when Re to dmb charge transfer occurs upon photoexcitation. We concluded that the instability from steric effects of phenyl groups and diimine leads to a smaller Stokes shift of the lowest excited triplet state (T1) in (3,3). The large structural change between the ground and excited states causes the longer lifetime of T1 in (3,3).

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 using water as a reductant and visible light as the energy source is an important target in artificial photosynthesis. In this study, we report a highly stable photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction involving a new molecular photocathode comprising a NiO electrode and polymerized complexes of the Ru(II) photosensitizer and Ru(II) catalyst (NiO/PRu-poly-Ru-RuCAT1). CO and HCOOH were stably and selectively produced for over 100 h under visible light irradiation and a low bias. The turnover number of CO2 reduction products exceeded 1200, which represents the highest durability reported for photoelectrochemical reactions using molecular photocathodes. Moreover, a connected system of the NiO/PRu-poly-Ru-RuCAT1 molecular photocathode and a CoOx/BiVO4 photoanode suitable for water oxidation facilitated stable CO2 reduction with water as an electron donor and visible light as the energy source, with no bias for over 24 h. An energy conversion efficiency of 1.7 × 10−2% was obtained, which is the highest value reported for visible light driven systems utilizing a molecular photocatalyst for CO2 reduction with water as the reductant.

Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes have been widely studied to convert light energy to chemical or electric energy for various applications. To practically use the complexes, it is necessary to suppre...

International audience; Hybrid materials constructed from a visible-light-absorbing semiconductor and a functional metal complex have attracted attention as efficient photocatalysts for CO2 reduction with high selectivity to a desired product. In this work, defect fluorite-type Ln-Ta oxynitrides LnTaOxNy (Ln = Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy and Ho) were examined as the semiconductor component in a hybrid photocatalyst system combined with known Ag nanoparticle promoter and binuclear ruthenium(II) complex (RuRu'). Among the LnTaOxNy examined, TbTaOxNy gave the highest performance for CO2 reduction under visible light (λ > 400 nm), with a RuRu'-based turnover number of 18 and high selectivity to formate (>99%). Physicochemical analyses indicated that high crystallinity and more negative conduction band potential of LnTaOxNy with the absence of Ln-4f states in the band gap structure contributed to higher activity of the hybrid photocatalyst.

Supramolecular photocatalysts for CO2 reduction, constituted of redox photosensitizer, catalyst, and bridging ligand, play crucial roles in constructing hybrid systems with solid materials and phot...

Sensitization of a wide-gap oxide semiconductor with a visible-light-absorbing dye has been studied for decades as a means of producing H2 from water. However, efficient overall water splitting using a dye-sensitized oxide photocatalyst has remained an unmet challenge. Here we demonstrate visible-light-driven overall water splitting into H2 and O2 using HCa2Nb3O10 nanosheets sensitized by a Ru(II) tris-diimine type photosensitizer, in combination with a WO3-based water oxidation photocatalyst and a triiodide/iodide redox couple. With the use of Pt-intercalated HCa2Nb3O10 nanosheets further modified with amorphous Al2O3 clusters as the H2 evolution component, the dye-based turnover number and frequency for H2 evolution reached 4580 and 1960 h-1, respectively. The apparent quantum yield for overall water splitting using 420 nm light was 2.4%, by far the highest among dye-sensitized overall water splitting systems reported to date. The present work clearly shows that a carefully designed dye/oxide hybrid has great potential for photocatalytic H2 production, and represents a significant leap forward in the development of solar-driven water splitting systems.

In the field of hydride transfer reactions, overcoming the slowness of the transfer is an important challenge. In this study, we investigated the reaction mechanism of the transfer from a (2,2′:6′,...

Supramolecular photocatalysts, which consist of redox photosensitizer and catalyst units, have recently attracted attention in the field of artificial photosynthesis. Aiming to construct a durable ...

The development of CO2-reduction photocatalysts is one of the main targets in the field of artificial photosynthesis. Recently, numerous hybrid systems in which supramolecular photocatalysts compri...

Dye-sensitized solar cells and photocatalysts that consist of a light-absorbing dye and a wide gap oxide semiconductor substrate have been studied extensively as a means of solar energy conversion....

The supramolecular photocatalysts in which a Ru(II) complex as a molecular redox photosensitizer unit and a Re(I) complex as a molecular catalyst unit are connected with a various alkyl or ether ch...

The development of systems for photocatalytic CO2 reduction with water as a reductant and solar light as an energy source is one of the most important milestones on the way to artificial photosynthesis. Although such reduction can be performed using dye-sensitized molecular photocathodes comprising metal complexes as redox photosensitizers and catalyst units fixed on a p-type semiconductor electrode, the performance of the corresponding photoelectrochemical cells remains low, e.g., their highest incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) equals 1.2%. Herein, we report a novel dye-sensitized molecular photocathode for photocatalytic CO2 reduction in water featuring a polypyrrole layer, [Ru(diimine)3]2+ as a redox photosensitizer unit, and Ru(diimine)(CO)2Cl2 as the catalyst unit and reveal that the incorporation of the polypyrrole network significantly improves reactivity and durability relative to those of previously reported dye-sensitized molecular photocathodes. The irradiation of the novel photocathode with visible light under low applied bias stably induces the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO and HCOOH with high faradaic efficiency and selectivity (even in aqueous solution), and the highest IPCE is determined as 4.7%. The novel photocathode is coupled with n-type semiconductor photoanodes (CoOx/BiVO4 and RhOx/TaON) to construct full cells that photocatalytically reduce CO2 using water as the reductant upon visible light irradiation as the only energy input at zero bias. The artificial Z-scheme photoelectrochemical cell with the dye-sensitized molecular photocathode achieves the highest energy conversion efficiency of 8.3 × 10−2% under the irradiation of both electrodes with visible light, while a solar to chemical conversion efficiency of 4.2 × 10−2% is achieved for a tandem-type cell using a solar light simulator (AM 1.5, 100 mW cm−2)., A novel dye-sensitized molecular photocathode with polypyrrole networks exhibits high efficiency and durability for photocatalytic CO2 reduction by using water as reductant and visible light as energy.

We have explored the structural factors on the photophysical properties in two rhenium(I) diimine complexes in acetonitrile solution, cis,trans-[Re(dmb)(CO)2(PPh2Et)2]+ (Et(2,2)) and cis,trans-[Re(dmb)(CO)2(PPh3)2]+ ((3,3)) (dmb = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, Ph = phenyl, Et = ethyl) using the combination method of time-resolved infrared spectroscopy, time-resolved extended X-ray absorption fine structure, and quantum chemical calculations. The difference between these complexes is the number of phenyl groups in the phosphine ligand, and this only indirectly affects the central Re(I). Despite this minor difference, the complexes exhibit large differences in emission wavelength and excited-state lifetime. Upon photoexcitation, the bond length of Re-P and angle of P-Re-P are significantly changed in both complexes, while the phenyl groups are largely rotated by ~20º only in (3,3). We concluded that the instability from steric effects of phenyl groups and diimine leads to the smaller Stokes shift of the lowest excited triplet state (T1) in (3,3). The large structural change between the ground and excited states causes the longer lifetime of T1 in (3,3).

The development of systems for photocatalytic CO2 reduction with water as a reductant and solar light as an energy source is one of the most important milestones on the way to artificial photosynthesis. Although such reduction can be performed using dye-sensitized molecular photocathodes comprising metal complexes as redox photosensitizers and catalyst units fixed on a p-type semiconductor electrode, the performance of the corresponding photoelectrochemical cells remains low, e.g., their highest incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) equals 1.2%. Herein, we report a novel dye-sensitized molecular photocathode for photocatalytic CO2 reduction in water featuring a polypyrrole layer, [Ru(diimine)3]2+ as a redox photosensitizer unit, and Ru(diimine)(CO)2Cl2 as the catalyst unit and reveal that the incorporation of the polypyrrole network significantly improves reactivity and durability relative to those of previously reported dye-sensitized molecular photocathodes. The irradiation of the novel photocathode with visible light under low applied bias stably induces the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO and HCOOH with high faradaic efficiency and selectivity (even in aqueous solution), and the highest IPCE is determined as 4.7%. The novel photocathode is coupled with n-type semiconductor photoanodes (CoOx/BiVO4 and RhOx/TaON) to construct full cells that photocatalytically reduce CO2 using water as the reductant upon visible light irradiation as the only energy input at zero bias. The artificial Z-scheme photoelectrochemical cell with the dye-sensitized molecular photocathode achieves the highest energy conversion efficiency of 8.3 × 10−2% under the irradiation of both electrodes with visible light, while a solar to chemical conversion efficiency of 4.2 × 10−2% is achieved for a tandem-type cell using a solar light simulator (AM 1.5, 100 mW cm−2).

We designed and synthesized a heteroleptic osmium(ii) complex with two different tridentate ligands, Os. Os can absorb the full wavelength range of visible light owing to S–T transitions, and this was supported by TD-DFT calculations. Excitation of Os using visible light of any wavelength generates the same lowest triplet metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited state, the lifetime of which is relatively long (τem = 40 ns). Since excited Os could be reductively quenched by 1,3-dimethyl-2-(o-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole, Os displays high potential as a panchromatic photosensitizer. Using a combination of Os and a ruthenium(ii) catalyst, CO2 was photocatalytically reduced to HCOOH via irradiation with 725 nm light, and the turnover number reached 81; irradiation with light at λex > 770 nm also photocatalytically induced HCOOH formation. These results clearly indicate that Os can function as a panchromatic redox photosensitizer., The osmium(ii) complex functioned as a panchromatic photosensitizer and drove CO2 reduction.

Supramolecular photocatalysts comprising [Ru(diimine)3]2+ photosensitiser and fac-[Re(diimine)(CO)3{OC(O)OC2H4NR2}] catalyst units can be used to reduce CO2 to CO with high selectivity, durability and efficiency. In the presence of triethanolamine, the Re catalyst unit efficiently takes up CO2 to form a carbonate ester complex, and then direct photocatalytic reduction of a low concentration of CO2, e.g., 10% CO2, can be achieved using this type of supramolecular photocatalyst. In this work, the mechanism of the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 was investigated applying such a supramolecular photocatalyst, RuC2Re with a carbonate ester ligand, using time-resolved visible and infrared spectroscopies and electrochemical methods. Using time-resolved spectroscopic measurements, the kinetics of the photochemical formation processes of the one-electron-reduced species RuC2(Re)−, which is an essential intermediate in the photocatalytic reaction, were clarified in detail and its electronic structure was elucidated. These studies also showed that RuC2(Re)− is stable for 10 ms in the reaction solution. Cyclic voltammograms measured at various scan rates besides temperature and kinetic analyses of RuC2(Re)− produced by steady-state irradiation indicated that the subsequent reaction of RuC2(Re)− proceeds with an observed first-order rate constant of approximately 1.8 s−1 at 298 K and is a unimolecular reaction, independent of the concentrations of both CO2 and RuC2(Re)−., Formation processes and reactivity of an important intermediate of photocatalytic CO2 reduction, one-electron reduced species of a Ru(ii)–Re(i) supramolecular photocatalyst with a carbonate ester ligand, were investigated in detail.

The development of CO

Improvement in the photochemical formation efficiency of one-electron-reduced species (OERS) of a photoredox photosensitizer (a redox catalyst) is directly linked to the improvement in efficiencies of the various photocatalytic reactions themselves. We investigated the primary processes of a photochemical reduction of two series [Ru(diimine)3]2+ and [Os(diimine)3]2+ as frequently used redox photosensitizers (PS2+), by 1,3-dimethyl-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole (BIH) as a typical reductant in detail using steady-irradiation and time-resolved spectroscopies. The rate constants of all elementary processes of the photochemical reduction of PS2+ by BIH to give the free PS•+ were obtained or estimated. The most important process for determining the formation efficiency of the free PS•+ was the escape yield from the solvated ion pair [PS•+-BIH•+], which was strongly dependent on both the central metal ion and the ligands. In cases with the same central metal ion, the system with larger -ΔGbet, which is the free energy change in the back-electron transfer from the OERS of PS•+ to BIH•+, tended to lower the escape yield of the free OERS of PS2+. On the other hand, different central metal ions drastically affected the escape yield even in cases with similar -ΔGbet; the escape yield in the case of RuH2+ (-ΔGbet = 1.68 eV) was 5-11 times higher compared to those of OsH2+ (-ΔGbet = 1.60 eV) and OsMe2+ (-ΔGbet = 1.71 eV). The back-electron transfer process from the free PS•+ to the free BIH•+ could not compete against the further reaction of the free BIH•+, which is the deprotonation process giving BI•, in DMA for all examples. The produced BI• gave one electron to PS2+ in the ground state to give another PS•+, quantitatively. Based on these findings and investigations, it is clarified that the photochemical formation efficiency of the free PS•+ should be affected not only by -ΔGbet but also by the heavy-atom effect of the central metal ion, and/or the oxidation power of the excited PS2+, which should determine the distance between the excited PS and BIH at the moment of the electron transfer.

Utilization of low concentration CO2 contained in the exhaust gases from various industries and thermal power stations without the need for energy-consuming concentration processes should be an important technology for solving global warming and the shortage of fossil resources. Here we report the direct electrocatalytic reduction of low concentration CO2 by a Re(I)-complex catalyst that possesses CO2-capturing ability in the presence of triethanolamine. The reaction rate and faradaic efficiency of CO2 reduction were almost the same when using Ar gas containing 10% CO2 or when using pure CO2 gas, and the selectivity of CO formation was very high (98% at 10% CO2). At a concentration of 1% CO2, the Re(I) complex still behaved as a good electrocatalyst; 94% selectivity of CO formation and 85% faradaic efficiency were achieved, and the rate of CO formation was 67% compared to that when using pure CO2 gas. The electrocatalysis was due to the efficient insertion of CO2 into the Re(I)–O bond in fac-[Re(dmb)(CO)3{OC2H4N(C2H4OH)2}] (dmb = 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine).

CO2 capture at low concentration by catalysts is potentially useful for developing photocatalytic and electrocatalytic CO2 reduction systems. We investigated the CO2-capturing abilities of two complexes, fac-Mn(X2bpy)(CO)3(OCH2CH2NR2) and fac-Re(X2bpy)(CO)3(OCH2CH2NR2) (X2bpy = 4,4'-X2-2,2-bipyridine and R = -CH2CH2OH), which work as efficient catalysts for CO2 reduction. Both complexes could efficiently capture CO2 even from Ar gas containing only low concentration of CO2 such as 1% to be converted into fac-M(X2bpy)(CO)3(OC(O)OCH2CH2NR2) (M = Mn and Re). These CO2-capturing reactions proceeded reversibly and their equilibrium constants were >1000. The substituents of X2bpy strongly affected the CO2-capturing abilities of both Mn and Re complexes. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation could be used to estimate the CO2-capturing abilities of the metal complexes in the presence of triethanolamine.

Achieving visible-light-driven carbon dioxide reduction with high selectivity control and durability while using only earth abundant elements requires new strategies. Hybrid catalytic material was prepared upon covalent grafting a Co-quaterpyridine molecular complex to semiconductive mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (mpg-C

International audience; Achieving visible-light-driven carbon dioxide reduction with high selectivity control and durability while using only earth abundant elements requires new strategies. Hybrid catalytic material was prepared upon covalent grafting a Co–quaterpyridine molecular complex to semiconductive mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (mpg-C3N4) through an amide linkage. The molecular material was characterized by various spectroscopic techniques, including XPS, IR, and impedance spectroscopy. It proved to be a selective catalyst for CO production in acetonitrile using a solar simulator with a high 98% selectivity, while being remarkably robust since no degradation was observed after 4 days of irradiation (ca. 500 catalytic cycles). This unique combination of a selective molecular catalyst with a simple and robust semiconductive material opens new pathways for CO2 catalytic light-driven reduction.

Fausto Puntoriero and Osamu Ishitani introduce this Dalton Transactions themed collection on metal complexes and inorganic materials for solar fuel production.

The development of supramolecular photocatalysts has been an important target in the field of artificial photosynthesis because of their efficient reduction of CO2 and water oxidation and reduction, especially for solid materials, such as semiconductor particles, photoelectrodes, and mesoporous light-harvesting materials. We successfully developed the first supramolecular photocatalyst with a Rh complex as a catalyst unit for CO2 reduction. This new photocatalyst consisting of [Rh(BL)(Cp*)Cl]+ as the catalyst and [Ru(dmb)2(BL)]2+ as the photosensitizer (Cp* = 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, BL = 1,2-bis(4′-methyl[2,2′-bipyridin]-4-yl)ethane, dmb = 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine) mainly produced formic acid, even though a mixed system of the corresponding mononuclear complexes photocatalytically produced H2 as the main product. The photocatalytic reaction mechanism was investigated based on in situ UV–vis absorption studies and electrochemical measurements.

Trimethylamine N-oxide (Me3NO) could selectively remove only one CO ligand from fac-[Re(N^N)(CO)3(PR2R')]+ (N^N = diimine ligand), whereby only the CO ligand in the trans position to the phosphorus ligand was selectively removed to give cis,trans-[ReI(N^N)(CO)2(PR2R')(L)] n+ in good yields. This decarbonylation reaction using Me3NO was found to be especially useful for synthesizing biscarbonyl Re(I) complexes with electron-withdrawing groups in the diimine ligand, which could not be synthesized or were obtained only in low yields by the photochemical method. Me3NO also selectively removed the carbonyl ligands in the trans position to the phosphorus ligands from the edge Re(I) complex units, which have the fac-[Re(N^N)(CO)3(PR2R')]+ structure, in linear-shaped Re(I) multinuclear complexes. This reaction was successfully applied to synthesize a novel precursor with ring-shaped multinuclear Re complexes (Re-rings) comprising different kinds of Re(I) units. The newly synthesized Re-rings, which consist of one Re unit with a 4,4'-bis(trifluoromethyl)-2,2'-bipyridine (CF3bpy) ligand and one or two Re unit(s) with a 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) ligand, showed almost quantitative excitation-energy harvesting ability from the Re unit(s) with bpy to that with CF3bpy.

The development of highly efficient, selective, and durable photocatalytic CO2 reduction systems that only use earth-abundant elements is key for both solving global warming and tackling the shortage of energy and carbon resources. Here, we successfully developed CO2 reduction photocatalysts using [Cu2(P2bph)2]2+ (CuPS) (P2bph = 4,7-diphenyl-2,9-di(diphenylphosphinotetramethylene)-1,10-phenanthroline) as a redox photosensitizer and fac-Mn(X2bpy)(CO)3Br (Mn(4X)) (X2bpy = 4,4′-X2-2,2′-bipyridine (X = −H and −OMe) or Mn(6mes) (6mes = 6,6′-(mesityl)2-2,2′-bipyridne)) as the catalyst. The most efficient photocatalysis was achieved by Mn(4OMe): The total quantum yield of CO2 reduction products was 57%, the turnover number based on the Mn catalyst was over 1300, and the selectivity of CO2 reduction was 95%. Electronic and steric effects of the substituents (X) in the Mn complexes largely affected both the photocatalytic efficiency and the product selectivity. For example, the highest selectivity of CO formation ...

Reduction of CO2 is one of the most important reactions that might solve the problems of global warming and shortage of fossil-fuel resources simultaneously. Metal complex catalysts are sometimes called molecular catalysts because they can be designed and synthesized on the molecular level. Some metal complexes are quite efficient and selective for CO2 reduction. Recently, such complexes have been applied as semiconductor photocatalysts to yield hybrid metal complex/semiconductor systems. Compared to heterogeneous catalysts, metal complexes are more advantageous for elucidating reaction mechanisms. This review summarizes the reaction mechanisms that have been proposed for the photochemical CO2 reduction reaction catalyzed by rhenium and ruthenium complexes. Rhenium complexes efficiently reduce CO2 to selectively produce CO under various reaction conditions. On the other hand, ruthenium complexes yield CO and HCOOH, and the product selectivities are strongly dependent on the reaction conditions. Numerous reaction mechanisms have been proposed; however, no universal mechanism that can completely explain the activities and product selectivities of these catalysts exists. Why are two important intermediates, the η1-CO2 adduct and the hydride complex, proposed? How does the η1-CO2 adduct produce HCOOH? Does the hydride complex yield CO via the formate complex? What is the second electron source for the intermediate that produces CO and HCOOH? This review highlights what is already known about photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction mechanisms and what remains to be clarified.

The Z-scheme CO2 reduction activity of metal complex–semiconductor hybrid photocatalysts was investigated in detail with a focus on the interfacial electron transfer process. Semiconductors of GaN:...