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H 2 Oxidation Electrocatalysis Enabled by Metal‐to‐Metal Hydrogen Atom Transfer: A Homolytic Approach to a Heterolytic Reaction
Author(s) -
Chambers Geoffrey M.,
Wiedner Eric S.,
Bullock R. Morris
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201807510
Subject(s) - homolysis , heterolysis , deprotonation , electrocatalyst , chemistry , catalysis , metal , bond cleavage , cleave , electron transfer , photochemistry , inorganic chemistry , electrochemistry , organic chemistry , electrode , radical , ion , enzyme
Oxidation of H 2 in a fuel cell converts the chemical energy of the H−H bond into electricity. Electrocatalytic oxidation of H 2 by molecular catalysts typically requires one metal to perform multiple chemical steps: bind H 2 , heterolytically cleave H 2 , and then undergo two oxidation and two deprotonation steps. The electrocatalytic oxidation of H 2 by a cooperative system using Cp*Cr(CO) 3 H and [Fe(diphosphine)(CO) 3 ] + has now been invetigated. A key step of the proposed mechanism is a rarely observed metal‐to‐metal hydrogen atom transfer from the Cr−H complex to the Fe, forming an Fe−H complex that is deprotonated and then oxidized electrochemically. This “division of chemical labor” features Cr interacting with H 2 to cleave the H−H bond, while Fe interfaces with the electrode. Neither metal is required to heterolytically cleave H 2 , so this system provides a very unusual example of a homolytic reaction being a key step in a molecular electrocatalytic process.