Water oxidation surface mechanisms replicated by a totally inorganic tetraruthenium-oxo molecular complex.

ABSTRACT: Solar-to-fuel energy conversion relies on the invention of efficient catalysts enabling water oxidation through low-energy pathways. Our aerobic life is based on this strategy, mastered by the natural Photosystem II enzyme, using a tetranuclear Mn-oxo complex as oxygen evolving center. Within artificial devices, water can be oxidized efficiently on tailored metal-oxide surfaces such as RuO2. The quest for catalyst optimization in vitro is plagued by the elusive description of the active sites on bulk oxides. Although molecular mimics of the natural catalyst have been proposed, they generally suffer from oxidative degradation under multiturnover regime. Here we investigate a nano-sized Ru4-polyoxometalate standing as an efficient artificial catalyst featuring a totally inorganic molecular s

SUBMITTER: Piccinin S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3612603 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature