Lorenzo Mognon, PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Antoni Llobet, has defended his PhD Thesis entitled “Mononuclear and Heterotrinuclear Ruthenium Complexes Synthesis and Water Oxidation Activity” (assigned to the Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili) publicly on July 29th at the ICIQ auditorium.
The members of his evaluation committee were: Prof. Mauro Carraro (University of Padova), Prof. Xavier Sala (Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona), and Dr. Craig J. Richmond (University of Zürich).
Dr. Mognon with his supervisor, Prof. Antoni Llobet, and the evaluation committee
Abstract:
This work presents the synthesis and characterization of multiple mononuclear and heterotrinuclear ruthenium complexes based on two different ligands. Their properties were investigated through spectroscopic and electrochemical methods, and related to the structures obtained by X-ray diffraction. Isomerization reactions were examined and rationalized through spectroscopy, electrochemistry and DFT simulations. Possible reactivity towards chemical or photochemical water oxidation was tested and rationalized in light of the structure and electronic properties of the compounds. Selected catalytic reactions underwent mechanistic, kinetic or thermodynamic studies, by means of spectroscopic, isotopic labelling or electrochemical experiments. Finally, two complexes were supported on metal oxide surfaces and tested for heterogeneous water oxidation.