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Abstract Incorporating design elements from homogeneous catalysts to construct well defined active sites on electrode surfaces is a promising approach for developing next generation electrocatalysts for energy conversion reactions. Furthermore, if functionalities that control the electrode microenvironment could be integrated into these active sites it would be particularly appealing. In this context, a square planar nickel calixpyrrole complex,Ni(DPMDA)(DPMDA=2,2′‐((diphenylmethylene)bis(1H‐pyrrole‐5,2‐diyl))bis(methaneylylidene))bis(azaneylylidene))dianiline) with pendant amine groups is reported that forms a heterogeneous hydrogen evolution catalyst using anilinium tetrafluoroborate as the proton source. The supportedNi(DPMDA)catalyst was surprisingly stable and displayed fast reaction kinetics with turnover frequencies (TOF) up to 25,900 s−1or 366,000 s−1 cm−2. Kinetic isotope effect (KIE) studies revealed a KIE of 5.7, and this data, combined with Tafel slope analysis, suggested that a proton‐coupled electron transfer (PCET) process involving the pendant amine groups was rate‐limiting. While evidence of an outer‐sphere reduction of theNi(DPMDA)catalyst was observed, it is hypothesized that the control over the secondary coordination sphere provided by the pendant amines facilitated such high TOFs and enabled the PCET mechanism. The results reported herein provide insight into heterogeneous catalyst design and approaches for controlling the secondary coordination sphere on electrode surfaces.
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Electro‐ and Photochemical Reduction of CO 2 by Molecular Manganese Catalysts: Exploring the Positional Effect of Second‐Sphere Hydrogen‐Bond Donors
Abstract A series of molecular Mn catalysts featuring aniline groups in the second‐coordination sphere has been developed for electrochemical and photochemical CO2reduction. The arylamine moieties were installed at the 6 position of 2,2’‐bipyridine (bpy) to generate a family of isomers in which the primary amine is located at theortho‐(1‐Mn),meta‐(2‐Mn), orpara‐site (3‐Mn) of the aniline ring. The proximity of the second‐sphere functionality to the active site is a critical factor in determining catalytic performance. Catalyst1‐Mn, possessing the shortest distance between the amine and the active site, significantly outperformed the rest of the series and exhibited a 9‐fold improvement in turnover frequency relative to parent catalyst Mn(bpy)(CO)3Br (901 vs. 102 s−1, respectively) at 150 mV lower overpotential. The electrocatalysts operated with high faradaic efficiencies (≥70 %) for CO evolution using trifluoroethanol as a proton source. Notably, under photocatalytic conditions, a concentration‐dependent shift in product selectivity from CO (at high [catalyst]) to HCO2H (at low [catalyst]) was observed with turnover numbers up to 4760 for formic acid and high selectivities for reduced carbon products.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1848478
- PAR ID:
- 10237878
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ChemSusChem
- Volume:
- 14
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 1864-5631
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 662-670
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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