Issue 33, 2015

The ferrocene effect: enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen production using meso-tetraferrocenyl porphyrin palladium(ii) and copper(ii) complexes

Abstract

Copper(II) and palladium(II) meso-tetraferrocenylporphyrins (CuTFcP and PdTFcP) were employed as catalysts for electrochemical proton reduction in DMF using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) or triethylamine hydrochloride (TEAHCl) as acids. Gas analysis under electrocatalytic conditions at a glassy carbon working electrode confirmed the product as H2. CuTFcP showed catalytic behavior for both TFA and TEAHCl, whereas only TFA worked for PdTFcP. The performance of the two compounds for electrocatalytic hydrogen generation was compared to the analogous copper(II) and palladium(II) meso-tetraphenylporphyrins (CuTPP and PdTPP) under identical conditions. The presence of the ferrocence groups on the porphyrin favourably shift the overpotential to a less negative value by around 200 mV and increases the catalytic rate of hydrogen production in DMF/TFA by an order of magnitude to 6 × 103 s−1. Moreover, while CuTPP is fully inactive in a DMF/TEAHCl mixture, the ferrocene subunits activate the CuTFcP catalyst. Spectroelectrochemistry experiments and DFT calculations were consistent with a catalytic process proceeding via the phlorin anion.

Graphical abstract: The ferrocene effect: enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen production using meso-tetraferrocenyl porphyrin palladium(ii) and copper(ii) complexes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Jun 2015
Accepted
16 Jul 2015
First published
20 Jul 2015

Dalton Trans., 2015,44, 14646-14655

Author version available

The ferrocene effect: enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen production using meso-tetraferrocenyl porphyrin palladium(II) and copper(II) complexes

D. Sirbu, C. Turta, E. A. Gibson and A. C. Benniston, Dalton Trans., 2015, 44, 14646 DOI: 10.1039/C5DT02191J

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