Peiyu Ge

Hydrogen evolution across nano-Schottky junctions at carbon supported MoS2 catalysts in biphasic liquid systems

The activities of a series of MoS(2)-based hydrogen evolution catalysts were studied by biphasic reactions monitored by UV/Vis spectroscopy. Carbon supported MoS(2) catalysts performed best due to an abundance of catalytic edge sites and strong electronic coupling of catalyst to support.

Molecular electrocatalysis at soft interfaces

The fundamental aspects of electrochemistry at liquid-liquid interfaces are introduced to present the concept of molecular electrocatalysis. Here, a molecular catalyst is adsorbed at the interface to promote a proton coupled electron transfer reaction such as hydrogen evolution or oxygen reduction using lipophilic electron donors.

Hydrogen evolution catalyzed by electrodeposited nanoparticles at the liquid/liquid interface

Aqueous protons reduction by decamethylferrocene in 1,2-dichloroethane can be catalyzed efficiently by platinum and palladium nanoparticles electrogenerated in situ at the liquid-liquid interface.

Four-Electron Oxygen Reduction by Tetrathiafulvalene

The four-electron reduction of oxygen by tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) in acidified 1,2-dichloroethane and at the acidified water/1,2-dichloroethane interface has been observed. Spectroscopy and ion transfer voltammetry results suggest that the reaction proceeds by the fast protonation of TTF followed by the 4-electron reduction of oxygen to form water. Electronic structure computations give evidence of the formation of a helical tetramer assembly ([TTF(4)H(2)](2+)) of two protonated TTF and two neutral TTF molecules. The protonated tetramer is potentially able to deliver the four electrons needed for the oxygen reduction. The production of water was corroborated by (1)H NMR analysis.

Biphasic water splitting by osmocene

The photochemical reactivity of osmocene in a biphasic water-organic solvent system has been investigated to probe its water splitting properties. The photoreduction of aqueous protons to hydrogen under anaerobic conditions induced by osmocene dissolved in 1,2-dichloroethane and the subsequent water splitting by the osmocenium metal-metal dimer formed during H2 production were studied by electrochemical methods, UV-visible spectrometry, gas chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Density functional theory computations were used to validate the reaction pathways.

Photoinduced Biphasic Hydrogen Evolution: Decamethylosmocene as a Light-Driven Electron Donor

Excitation of the weak electron donor decamethylosmocene on illumination with white light produces an excited-state species capable of reducing organically solubilized protons under biphasic conditions. Insight into the mechanism and kinetics of light-driven biphasic hydrogen evolution are obtained by analysis with gas chromatography, cyclic voltammetry, and UV/Vis and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Formation of decamethylosmocenium hydride, which occurs prior to hydrogen evolution, is a rapid step relative to hydrogen release and takes place independently of light activation. Remarkably, hydride formation occurs with greater efficiency (ca. 90% conversion) under biphasic conditions than when the reaction is carried out in an acidified single organic phase (ca. 20% conversion). Cyclic voltammetry studies reveal that decamethylosmocene has a higher proton affinity than either decamethylferrocene or osmocene.

Room temperature ionic liquids based on cationic porphyrin derivatives and tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate anion

A series of 11 low melting ionic liquids based on meso-substituted A3B-porphyrins and A2B2-porphyrins containing one or two pyridyl substituents have been synthesized in high yields. Three of them are liquids at room temperature. All these porphyrinic salts were characterized by 1 H NMR, 19 F NMR, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, elemental analysis and UV-visible spectroscopy. The thermal properties and conductivity values of these salt derivatives have been also measured. A specific conductivity value of up to 4 mS.cm -1 could be obtained for a compound having the counter-anion B(C6F5)4 - .