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SYNTHETIC OUTER COORDINATION SPHERE: A KEY FEATURE FOR DESIGNING ENZYME-INSPIRED H<inf>2</inf> PRODUCTION CATALYSTS
Journal
A Closer Look at Coordination Complexes
Date Issued
2021-01-01
Author(s)
Dolui, Dependu
Ghorai, Santanu
Das, Srewashi
Dutta, Arnab
Abstract
Currently, one of the major global challenges is to unravel a green and sustainable energy resource capable of satisfying the ever-growing demand of the worldwide population and human lifestyle. Solar energy appears to be one of the most popular choices for energy harvest; however, its intermittent nature casts severe doubts for practical usage. Converting renewable energy resources into chemical storage materials (such as H2 molecules) has emerged as a viable solution to this issue. In this scenario, electrocatalytic materials are reckoned as the prime resource for such transformation due to their tunability, facile usage, and robust nature. Natural photosynthesis provides a clue that the transformation of solar energy to chemical energy can be the way to move forward. Proton to H2 conversion stands out to be one of the most feasible chemical transformations for an efficient storage of renewable energy resources. Hence, the development of catalysts that can promote H2 production, especially from aqueous media, has emerged as the holy grail in the field of molecular electrocatalysis. Metalloenzyme architectures are the principal source of inspiration for the design of synthetic H2 evolution molecular catalysts. Interestingly, the functionalities remote from the active site of the protein in its secondary or tertiary structures play a crucial role during enzymatic catalysis other than the metal active site. This enzyme architecture-inspired outer coordination sphere functionalities significantly improved the H2 production catalysis even for artificial metal cores. Here in this chapter, we have focused on the bio-mimetic design of the outer coordination sphere surrounding synthetic cobalt- and nickel-based coordination complexes. The inclusion of minimal proton relay in the form of amino acids, peptides, or synthetic/natural apoproteins leads to the development of robust H2 production catalysts, which will be influential for establishing a sustainable renewable energy storage technology.
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