Titre : A Systematic Approach to a Molecular Light-Diven Water Splitting Catalyst.

Cette conférence sera prononcée (en anglais) par le Professeur Randy Thummel, du département de chimie à la Houston University. Il sera de passage à Montréal dans le cadre d'une soutenance de thèse en chimie.

Résumé : This lecture will discuss artificial photosynthesis from the perspective of using the energy of sunlight to accomplish the chemistry involved in converting water into its elements. The development of dinuclear and eventually mono-nuclear ruthenium(II) complexes for the electrochemical oxidation of water to dioxygen will be presented. Catalyst design will be discussed in the context of the actual bond breaking and bond making steps required for water splitting. In addition to activation by the strong chemical oxidant Ce(IV), similar catalysts will be activated photochemically through the excited state of appropriate Ru(II) photosensitizers. The development of homogeneous molecular systems incorporating both the oxidation catalyst and the photosensitizer also will be presented. Finally a Co(II) polypyridine complex that catalyzes water reduction to form hydrogen will be discussed.

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