A water oxidation catalyst based on ruthenium bis-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole anchored on rutile TiO2 was prepared. The performance of this new material with regard to its capacity to catalytically oxidize water to molecular oxygen in a heterogeneous phase was evaluated. Two organic ligands based on bis-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole (Hbpp) functionalized with a para-methylenebenzoic acid (Hbpp-Ra) or its ester derivative (Hbpp-Re) were prepared and characterized. The ester-functionalized ligand was then used to prepare a series of related dinuclear ruthenium complexes of general formula [RuII2(L-L)(bpp-Rn)(trpy)2]m+ (L-L= -Cl, -acetato, or (H2O)2; n=e or a; trpy=2,2 :6 ,2 -terpyridine; m=2 or 3). The complexes were characterized in solution by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and electrochemical techniques. The [RuII2(μ-Cl)(bpp-Re)(trpy)2](PF6)2 complex was further characterized in the solid state by X-ray diffraction. The complexes containing the free carboxylic acid ligand were anchored onto rutile TiO2 and treated with 0.1 M triflic acid solution to generate the homologous water-oxidation catalysts TiO2-[RuII2(H2O)2(bpp-Ra)(trpy)2]2+. This new hybrid material catalytically oxidizes water to molecular oxygen in a heterogeneous manner using CeIV as chemical oxidant. The generation of molecular oxygen is accompanied by the formation of carbon dioxide as well as some leaching of the Ru catalyst.
A Ru-Hbpp-based water-oxidation catalyst anchored on rutile TiO2
ChemSusChem 2009, 2, 321-329.