Gadolinium porphyrinate double-deckers for visible light driven H2 evolution

Abstract

Abstract In the present work a series gadolinium porphyrin double deckers and the corresponding monoporphyrinate derivatives were investigated towards photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The complexes were modified both on the meso- and on the beta- positions of the porphyrin macrocycle. The presence of the double decker structure was proved essential towards the photocatalytic activity since the Gd bisporphyrinate with pyridyl peripheral groups exhibited the higher performance which was 13.8 mmolg-1h−1, while the Gd monoporphyrinate with the same peripheral substitution was totally inactive. A self-assembly investigation of the porphyrin derivatives revealed that different supramolecular architectures can be obtained by varying the solvent mixture and the peripheral substitution, however this did not affect the photocatalytic activity of the complexes.