Stabilized photoanodes for water oxidation by integration of organic dyes, water oxidation catalysts, and electron-transfer mediators

Significance Dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells (DSPECs) are a very promising approach to convert solar energy into chemical fuels as H 2 or reduced CO 2 species from water or CO 2 . Water oxidation occurring in the photoanode, involving 4e − process, is a critical reaction for the artificial photosynthesis. Here, we inserted an electron mediator between light harvester and water oxidation catalyst. In this role it acts as a mimic for the tyrosine (Yz) between the chromophore and catalyst in PSII. The resulting assembly structures were stable for extended periods (3 h) toward water oxidation to O 2 , and they also extended the chromophores used in the DSPECs for water oxidation to a phosphonated porphyrin dye.