Hydrogen Production using Nickel Electrocatalysts with Pendant Amines: Ligand Effects on Rates and Overpotentials
A Ni-based electrocatalyst for H2 production, [Ni(8PPh2NC6H4Br)2](BF4)2, featuring eight-membered cyclic diphosphine ligands incorporating a single amine base, 1-para-bromo-phenyl-3,7-triphenyl-1-aza-3,7-diphosphacycloheptane (8PPh2NC6H4Br) has been synthesized and characterized. X-ray ?diffraction studies reveal that the cation of [Ni(8PPh2NC6H4Br)2(CH3CN)](BF4)2 has a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. In CH3CN [Ni(8PPh2NC6H4Br)2]2+ is an electrocatalyst for reduction of protons, and it has a maximum turnover frequency for H2 production of 800 s-1 with a 700 mV overpotential (at Ecat/2) when using [(DMF)H]OTf as the acid. Addition of H2O to acidic CH3CN solutions of [Ni(8PPh2NC6H4Br)2]2+ results in an increase of the turnover frequency for H2 production to a maximum of 3,300 s-1 with an overpotential of 760 mV at Ecat/2. Computational studies carried out on [Ni(8PPh2NC6H4Br)2]2+ indicate the observed catalytic rate is limited by formation of non-productive protonated isomers, diverting active catalyst from the catalytic cycle. The results of this research show that proton delivery from the exogenous acid to the correct position on the proton relay of the metal complex is essential for fast H2 production. This research was supported as part of the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1558194
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-95190
- Journal Information:
- ACS Catalysis, Vol. 3, Issue 11
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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