Reactivity and Mechanism Studies of Hydrogen Evolution Catalyzed by Copper Corroles

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/acscatal.5b00666

Several copper corrole complexes were synthesized, and their catalytic activities for hydrogen (H₂) evolution were examined. Our results showed that substituents at the meso positions of corrole macrocycles played significant roles in regulatin

Full text of DOI:10.1021/acscatal.5b00666

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Reactivity and Mechanism Studies of Hydrogen
Evolution Catalyzed by Copper Corroles
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Haitao Lei,a,‡ Huayi Fang,b,‡ Yongzhen Han,a Wenzhen Lai,a,* Xuefeng Fu,b,* and Rui
Caoa,c*
a Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China.
b
College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871,
China.
c Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Technology,
Beijing 100124, China.
‡These authors contributed equally to this work.
*Correspondence E-mails: ruicao@ruc.edu.cn, fuxf@pku.edu.cn,
wenzhenlai@ruc.edu.cn
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Abstract
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Several copper corrole complexes were synthesized, and their catalytic activities
for hydrogen (H2) evolution were examined. Our results showed that substituents at the
meso positions of corrole macrocycles played significant roles in regulating the redox and
thus the catalytic properties of copper corrole complexes: strong electron-withdrawing
substituents can improve the catalysis for hydrogen evolution, while electron-donating
substituents are not favored in this system. Copper complex of 5,15-pentafluorophenyl-
10-(4-nitrophenyl)corrole (1) was shown to have the best electrocatalytic performance
among copper corroles examined. Complex 1 can electrocatalyze H2 evolution using
trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as the proton source in acetonitrile. In cyclic voltammetry, the
value of icat/ip = 303 (icat is the catalytic current, ip is the one-electron peak current of 1 in
the absence of acid) at scan rate 100 mV s−1 and 20 °C is remarkable. Electrochemical
and spectroscopic measurements revealed that 1 has the desired stability in concentrated
TFA acid solution and is unchanged by functioning as an electrocatalyst. Stopped-flow,
spectroelectrochemistry and theoretical studies provided valuable insights into the
mechanism of hydrogen evolution mediated by 1. Doubly reduced 1 is the catalytic active
species that reacts with a proton to give the hydride intermediate for subsequent
generation of H2.
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Keywords: hydrogen evolution, copper corroles, electrocatalysis, reduction, stopped-
flow
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Introduction
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Globally increasing energy demand and environmental concerns related to the use
of fossil fuels have made energy research the paramount task for our society.1-7 H2 has
emerged as an ideal energy source because it is carbon-free, renewable and produces only
water as a combustion product.8-16 Electrochemical reduction of protons is an effective
and convenient process to convert electrical energy to chemical energy through
generating H2.17-19 This process is rapidly gaining attention as a vital paradigm for future
energy conversion, storage and delivery.20,21 In nature, hydrogenases catalyze the
reversible reduction of protons with low overpotentials and high turnover frequencies up
to 9000 s−1.22,23 However, the challenge in obtaining and using these enzymes in non-
natural environments obstructs their practical applications,24 even though the use of
hydrogenases with chemical modifications under ambient environments is known in the
literature.25,26 Platinum is very active in electrocatalytic H2 production,8 but utilization of
this noble metal is limited by its low natural abundance and high cost. Less expensive
earth-abundant transition metal complexes have therefore attracted major attention to
serve as catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).27-31 Recent focus on the
development of HER catalysts has resulted in identifying complexes of several earth-
abundant metals including iron,32-35 cobalt,36-45 nickel12,20,46 and molybdenum47-49 active
for this catalysis, but the catalyst design features still fall short in either catalytic
efficiency20,48 or stability in required concentrated acid environments.20 Therefore, the
discovery of new metal systems that can offer highly efficient and robust HER catalysts
remains a substantial challenge in the energy research community.
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Copper plays significant roles in numerous redox processes in biological
systems.50 Synthetic copper complexes have also been extensively investigated because
of their prominent biomimetic and redox chemistry.50,51 Although Cu-based materials
have been used as catalysts or co-catalysts for the reduction of protons and carbon
dioxide,52-59 copper-containing complexes that can catalyze H2 production have rarely
been recognized. One possible reason is that the reduction potential of low-valent copper
species is typically too positive to reduce protons. Recently, Sun and Wang reported the
first example of a homogeneous copper electrocatalyst for water reduction.60 The
polypyridine ligand used in this work was considered to be able to stabilize two-electron
reduced copper center that subsequently reduces protons. Recent works from Dey and
Gross61,62 and also from us63 showed that cobalt corroles were efficient in catalyzing
HER and the redox non-innocent corrole macrocycles played a significant role in these
processes by tuning the redox properties of incorporated metal centers. Herein we report
on copper corroles as another example of copper-based molecular HER catalysts. The
remarkable activity (icat/ip = 303 at scan rate 100 mV s−1 and 20 °C) and stability of
copper corroles in concentrated TFA acid solutions are noteworthy. The combination of
stopped-flow and spectroelectrochemistry techniques and also theoretical studies
suggested that two-electron reduced 1 is the catalytic active species that reduces a proton
to form a copper hydride intermediate for subsequent H2 evolution.
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Results and Discussion
Synthesis and electrochemistry. Copper corroles 1−4 (Figure 1) were
synthesized by metallation of corresponding corroles with copper(II) acetate. Purification
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by column chromatography and recrystallization afforded crystalline samples of 1−4 in
moderate yields. X-ray structures of 1 and 2 showed that the Cu center was coordinated
to the corrole ligand to give a distorted square planar geometry with a saddling structural
character.64,65 In complexes 1−4, a formally d8 Cu(III) center was suggested based on the
short Cu−N bond distances (Figure 1) and the diamagnetism observed in nuclear
magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (Figure S5 and S6). A significant feature of
neutral copper corroles ([(Cor)Cu]0) is that the [(Cor3−)Cu3+] formulation with a Cu(III)
center and the regular corrole trianion and the formulation as a Cu(II) center with a
corrolato dianion radical [(Cor•2−)Cu2+] are almost degenerate in energy.66 As the exact
electronic structure of copper corroles is not our interest, for simplicity, the neutral
[(Cor)Cu]0 formulation will be used hereafter.
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The cyclic voltammogram (CV) of 1 in dry acetonitrile showed two reduction
waves E1/2 = −0.12 V and E1/2 = −1.42 V vs ferrocene (all potentials reported herein are
referenced to ferrocene), and two oxidation waves E1/2 = 0.69 V and Epa = 1.26 V (Figure
2a). The peak separation ΔEp for the three reversible redox couples was measured to be
~78 mV, implying three one-electron events (ΔEp of ferrocene = 75 mV). Based on
previous knowledge66,67 and our studies,63,68-70 the first oxidation of 1 was assigned to
corrole-centered giving [(Cor)Cu]•+, and the first and second reductions produce
[(Cor)Cu]− and [(Cor)Cu]2−, respectively. Significantly, upon addition of TFA (pKa =
12.7 in acetonitrile),36 a large electrocatalytic current for proton reduction appeared with
the onset of catalytic wave at −0.95 V (Figure 3). This catalytic current peaks at −1.65 V,
and has half the maximum current achieved at a potential of −1.35 V.
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Figure 1. Chemical structures of copper corroles. (a) Molecular structures of complexes
1−4. (b) Thermal ellipsoid plot (50% probability) of the X-ray structure of 1. (c) Thermal
ellipsoid plot (50% probability) of the X-ray structure of 2. The average Cu−N bond
distances are 1.893(4) and 1.889(4) Å for 1 and 2, respectively.
As the thermodynamic potential required for the reduction of TFA in acetonitrile
is known to be −0.90 V,71 the overpotential for HER with 1 is determined to be ~450 mV
based on its half-wave potential (Figure 3).20 The catalytic H2 production was supported
by concomitant formation of a large amount of gas bubbles on the surface of the glassy
carbon working electrode. Importantly, control experiments by adding TFA to an
acetonitrile solution of ligand 5,15-pentafluorophenyl-10-(4-nitrophenyl)corrole showed
no catalytic current under similar conditions. We also carried out control experiments
using free Cu(II) ions, which resulted in the deposition of Cu films on the electrode and
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displayed very different electrochemical behaviors as compared to 1. In addition, the
catalytic current had a linear dependence on the concentration of 1 (Figure S7), which is a
strong evidence for homogeneous catalysis. These results suggest that copper corrole 1 is
a molecular catalyst for proton reduction.
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Figure 2. Cyclic voltammograms of complexes 1−4. (a) A 0.30 mM acetonitrile solution
of 1. (b) A 1.0 mM acetonitrile solution of 2. (c) A 0.13 mM acetonitrile solution of 3. (d)
A 0.75 mM acetonitrile solution of 4. Measurements were performed using 0.1 M
(Bu4N)PF6 as the electrolyte with a scan rate of 100 mV s−1.
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Figure 3. Successive cyclic voltammograms of 0.30 mM 1 in acetonitrile with increasing
concentrations of TFA followed by addition of small aliquots of water. Conditions: 0.1 M
(Bu4N)PF6 as the electrolyte; 3 mm glassy-carbon working electrode; 100 mV s−1 scan
rate; 20 °C.
In comparison to 1, although 2 has similar reduction potentials (Figure 2b, E1/2
=
−0.15 V; E1/2 = −1.28 V), complex 2 degrades rapidly in acidic solution through an
oxidative dimerization mechanism, a phenomenon which has been reported by Gross and
co-workers.66 It is suggested that the electronic structure of corrole molecules is likely to
affect their stabilities towards this oxidative dimerization. For example, the cobalt corrole
analogue of complex 2 also undergoes a spontaneous dimerization in solution, while
cobalt complexes of the same corrole with axial ligands on the cobalt center (i.e. pyridine
and triphenylphosphine) are quite stable.72 The difference in the electronic structure of
corrole macrocycles of 1 and 2 should have an effect on their solution stabilities. To
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avoid this uncertainty in catalysis, we synthesized the β-brominated analogue 3, in which
these β-pyrrolic substitutions was shown by Dey and Gross to be able to resist oxidative
dimerization of metallocoroles.62 The CV of 3 has two reversible reduction waves at 0.26
V and −1.41 V (Figure 2c). Addition of TFA to an acetonitrile solution of 3 resulted in
the rapid growth of the catalytic current (overpotential ~350 mV, Figure S8). Despite the
earlier onset potential, 3 is determined to be less effective as compared to 1 as a HER
catalyst mainly because of its limited solubility and smaller catalytic current. Meanwhile,
complex 4 having an electron-donating methoxyl substituent is not capable of reducing
proton because the active species is generated by reduction at a much more negative
potential (E1/2 = −2.14 V, Figure 2d). The comparison of the redox chemistry of 1−4
showed that the introduction of electron-withdrawing substituents at the meso positions
of corrole macrocycles could move the reduction potentials of metal corroles to the
anodic direction, which should be favored in lowering the overpotential of
electrocatalytic H2 generation. Based on these results, the catalytic and mechanistic
investigations in the following sections were focused exclusively on 1.
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Catalysis and stability evaluation. As shown in Figure 3, the catalytic currents
in successive CVs of 0.30 mM 1 in acetonitrile with increasing concentrations of TFA
systematically increase until the concentration of TFA reaches 160 mM, where the acid-
independent region was observed. Based on our experimental observations, the value of
(icat/ip)2 increases linearly with acid concentration, indicating a first-order dependence of
the catalytic rate on acid concentration (Figure S9). Electrochemical studies revealed that
icat is independent on scan rate ν when the later is larger than 0.5 V s−1 (Figure S10), and
ip has a linear correlation with the square root of ν, indicating a diffusion-controlled
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electrochemical event (Figure S11). It was found that, after icat reached its maximum at
the TFA concentration of 160 mM, addition of water could further increase the catalytic
current, which might be attributed to the ability of water to enhance proton delivery. Our
results showed that by adding 2.24 M water, at an overpotential of 950 mV, a remarkable
value of icat/ip = 303 could be reached with a scan rate of 100 mV s−1 at 20 °C.
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The stability of molecular catalysts for H2 generation in acidic environments is a
general concern in designing HER catalysts, although improvement of acid tolerance has
been reported in several systems, including synthetic [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase model
complexes.17,26,73-75 Therefore, the stability of 1 in concentrated TFA acetonitrile solution
was evaluated (Figure S13). Our results showed that 1 remained unaffected even in a 1:1
(v/v) mixture of TFA and acetonitrile in the dark (Figure 4). The catalyst stability over
the course of electrocatalytic H2 evolution was then verified by UV-visible and NMR
spectroscopy before and after electrolysis. As shown in Figure 4 and Figure S14, little to
no depletion of UV-visible signal was observed after 2 h of controlled potential
electrolysis (CPE) at −1.50 V in the presence of 160 mM TFA, and more than 95% of 1
could be recovered after catalysis as indicated by NMR. Inspection of the glassy carbon
working electrode after CPE by SEM and EDX showed no Cu films deposited on the
electrode (Figure S15). The corrected electric charges accumulated during electrolysis
have a linear dependence on the time (Figure S16), which is a further evidence of the
robustness of 1. The Faradaic efficiency of H2 production was measured to be >99%,
which accounts for 23 turnovers with no detectable decomposition of 1 (Figure S17). All
these results support that 1 is stable and has molecular and catalytic nature for generating
H2. It is necessary to note that only catalysts close to the electrode participate in the
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catalysis, while in reality there are much more catalysts that are not active in the solution.
In our calculation, we divided the mole of evolved H2 by the mole of all catalysts in the
solution.
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Figure 4. Absorption spectra and stability evaluation of complex 1 in concentrated TFA
acid solution (left) and in the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution (right). Electrolysis
conditions: 0.3 mM 1 in acetonitrile with 0.1 M (NBu4)PF6 supporting electrolyte and 50
µL TFA (160 mM); 2 h electrolysis at −1.50 V.
The catalytic HER activity observed for 1 considerably exceeds that reported for
the cobalt corrole analogue [(Cor)Co(py)2] (py = pyridine).63 Although [(Cor)Co(py)2]
functions well as a heterogeneous electrocatalyst when it was deposited on working
electrodes, it degrades by oxidative dimerization after losing its pyridine ligands in acidic
solution (see above for discussions), which makes the mechanistic studies challenging.
The overpotential required for 1 to generate H2 is relatively high compared to cobaloxime
derivatives.37,41 However, the icat/ip value observed for the latter are typically one to two
orders of magnitude smaller than that for 1. On the other hand, 1 is as effective as the
nickel electrocatalyst recently reported by DuBois,20 which functions with a icat/ip value
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of 74 at an overpotential of ~1,000 mV under similar conditions, and 1 is one to two
orders of magnitude more active than many other nickel bis(diphosphine) complexes
operating at comparable overpotentials.46 More significantly, 1 remains unaffected in
concentrated TFA acid solution, while cobaloxime and nickel bis(diphosphine) systems
have limited acid tolerance.20,37,41,46 It is necessary to note that several methods have been
proposed in the literature to compare the performance of various molecular HER
catalysts.33,46,76,77 Due to the complexity of the electrocatalytic proton reduction reaction
and the difference between diverse systems, direct comparison is challenging. Therefore,
in our work, we reported only the icat/ip value at certain overpotential, a ratio that has been
generally reported in the literature.33,42,46,78
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Mechanistic studies. CV studies of 1 with and without TFA (Figure 2 and 3,
respectively) showed that the second reversible wave of 1 became to a pronounced
catalytic wave upon the addition of an external acid. This result indicated that the doubly
reduced 1 was likely the catalytic species for proton reduction. To gain more insights into
the mechanism of H2 evolution with 1, stopped-flow and spectroelectrochemistry
experiments were performed. In stopped-flow measurements, 1 was first reduced
chemically with sodium borohydride (NaBH4). As shown in Figure 5, reaction of 1 with
an excess amount of NaBH4 in acetonitrile resulted in the neat conversion to a new
species, which could be tentatively assigned to [(Cor)Cu]2−. The characteristic isobetic
point at 413 nm indicated a clean transformation from 1 to its reduced state (Figure
S12a). Addition of a large excess of TFA to the resulting solution immediately gave an
intermediate with absorption maxima at 328 and 423 nm, which was most probably the
hydride intermediate [(Cor)CuH]−. Stopped-flow studies revealed that this hydride
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intermediate [(Cor)CuH]− rapidly decayed by reacting with an excess amount of protons
to release H2 and regenerate the initial [(Cor)Cu]0 (Figure S12). It is necessary to note
that the reaction mixture was under light irradiation during the entire stopped-flow
experiments. As a result, some levels of degradation of 1 occurred as indicated by the
absorption increase around 640 nm.
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Figure 5. UV-Vis spectra of [(Cor)Cu]0, [(Cor)Cu]2− and [(Cor)CuH]−.
Controlled potential electrolysis in the absence of TFA in spectroelectrochemistry
measurements was performed at –1.50 V, which is more negative than the second
reduction peak of 1. High concentration of 1 was used to enhance the absorption in the
range of 500−600 nm, and the solution was protected by ultrapure nitrogen during the
entire spectroelectrochemistry measurements. As shown in Figure 6a, the UV-Vis
spectrum of electrochemically reduced 1 was identical to that observed in stopped-flow
measurements by chemical reduction with NaBH4. This result confirmed the formation of
[(Cor)Cu]2− in previous stopped-flow experiments. After about half-hour electrolysis,
most of 1 were converted to its two-electron reduced species. Simulation of the final
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absorption spectrum showed that more than 80% of 1 were doubly reduced in the
controlled potential electrolysis at –1.50 V (see SI and Figure S18). The resemblance in
absorption changes between chemical and electrochemical reduction of 1 suggested
similar redox behaviors in both chemical and electrochemical systems. Significantly,
injection of 1 µL of TFA to the resulting solution caused an immediate growth of the
catalytic current and the regeneration of initial [(Cor)Cu]0 (Figure 6b and 6c). These
observations strongly implied that [(Cor)Cu]2− is the catalytic active species to reduce
protons.
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Figure 6. Spectroelectrochemistry experiments. (a) Controlled potential electrolysis of 1
as monitored by UV-vis. (b) The reaction of doubly reduced 1 and TFA monitored by
UV-vis. (c) The current curve of 1 during electrolysis at −1.50 V. Electrolysis conditions:
2.2×10−5 M 1 in acetonitrile with 0.1 M (NBu4)PF6 electrolyte.
Based on experimental observations, one may envision a catalytic mechanism as
illustrated in Figure 7. The reduction of 1 by two electrons gives the catalytic active
species [(Cor)Cu]2− that subsequently reacts with a proton to form a hydride intermediate
[(Cor)CuH]−. Then, [(Cor)CuH]− reacts with a second proton to release H2 and regenerate
the initial [(Cor)Cu]0 (pathway A). The regeneration of [(Cor)Cu]0 in both stopped-flow
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and spectroelectrochemistry studies indicated that this pathway is feasible under our
experimental conditions. However, two other possible reaction pathways for H2
generation from this hydride intermediate cannot be excluded at this stage. They are (i) a
bimolecular reaction between two such intermediates takes place to form H2 and two
equivalents of [(Cor)Cu]− via the homolysis of the Cu−H bond (pathway B) and (ii) under
electrochemical conditions, [(Cor)CuH]− is further reduced to [(Cor)CuH]2−, which then
reacts with a proton to yield H2 and [(Cor)Cu]− (pathway C).
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Figure 7. Proposed electrocatalytic cycle for H2 evolution with 1. There are three
possible reaction pathways from hydride intermediate [(Cor)CuH]− via the reaction with
a proton to release H2 and regenerate the initial [(Cor)Cu]0 (pathway A, black), or via a
bimolecular reaction between two such intermediates to form H2 and [(Cor)Cu]−
(pathway B, green), or via further one-electron reduction to give [(Cor)CuH]2− followed
by reaction with a proton to yield H2 and [(Cor)Cu]− (pathway C, red).
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Theoretical calculations. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have
been carried out for a better understanding of the H2 evolution mechanism with 1. The
Cu-corrole complex 1, which has a closed-shell singlet ground state, can undergo one-
electron reduction with a calculated reduction potential of −0.31 V vs ferrocene. The so-
generated [(Cor)Cu]− has a doublet ground state with the single electron occupancy in the
σ*xy orbital (Figure S19), which describes the Cu−N antibonding interactions. This result
suggests that the first reduction is largely metal-centered. The second reduction of 1 takes
place at the nitrophenyl unit of the corrole ligand as indicated by the singly occupied
molecular orbital (Figure S20). The so generated [(Cor)Cu]2− has virtually degenerate
open-shell antiferromagnetically and ferromagnetically coupled singlet and triplet state
with triplet being only 0.69 kcal/mol lower in energy. The calculated potential for the
second reduction of 1 is −1.39 V vs ferrocene, which is in a good agreement with the
experimental value (−1.42 V vs ferrocene). As shown in Figure 7, the protonation of
doubly reduced 1 to form [(Cor)CuH]− is a general step in the proposed three possible
mechanisms for H2 production (pathway A, B, and C). Our calculated electronic
absorption spectrum of the [(Cor)CuH]− species agrees well with the experimental
spectrum obtained after immediately adding TFA to the doubly reduced 1 (Figure S21),
which confirms the formation of such a hydride intermediate. Significantly, the one-
electron reduction potential of [(Cor)CuH]− was calculated to be −1.06 V vs ferrocene,
which is 0.33 V more positive than the second reduction potential of 1. Because pathway
A is endergonic and is unlikely to be directly involved in electrocatalysis (see Supporting
Information for discussion), it is very likely that in electrochemical experiments, the
[(Cor)CuH]− intermediate can undergo one electron reduction further for subsequent
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reaction with a proton to form [(Cor)Cu]− and H2 (pathway C). Whereas, the combined
stopped-flow and absorption spectroscopy experiments indicated that the proton attack on
[(Cor)CuH]− can occur to produce H2 and regenerate [(Cor)Cu]0 when high concentration
of proton source (TFA) was used.
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Conclusions
We have discovered 1 to be an efficient catalyst for H2 evolution with sufficient
stability in concentrated TFA acid solutions. Although proton reduction occurs at
moderate overpotentials in acetonitrile, the use of Cu, high icat/ip value, and catalyst
stability are impressive. As indicated by stopped-flow and spectroelectrochemistry
experiments and also DFT calculations, [(Cor)Cu]2− and [(Cor)CuH]− are key
intermediates in catalytic H2 evolution. Using non-innocent corrole ligands, the redox
chemistry of copper is regulated. This result highlights the significant role of redox-active
ligands in molecular catalysis79 and offers considerable contribution to the design of more
efficient HER catalysts. Giving the molecular nature of this Cu catalyst, a door may be
open for systematic investigation of a large number of related Cu complexes for proton
reduction catalysis. Ongoing efforts are focused on detailed mechanistic researches and
further improvements of the efficiency and compatibility for light-driven catalytic
applications. Examination of copper corroles as catalysts for oxygen evolution is also
under investigation as molecular copper complexes have been found, in the last two
years,21,80,81 to be very active for water oxidation.
Materials and Methods
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General procedures. Manipulations of air- and moisture-sensitive materials were
performed under an atmosphere of nitrogen gas using standard Schlenk line techniques.
All reagents were purchased from commercial suppliers and used as received unless
otherwise noted. Dry solvents, including acetonitrile, dichloromethane and chloroform,
were purified by passage through activated alumina. Corrole ligands, 5,15-
pentafluorophenyl-10-(4-nitrophenyl)corrole, 5,10,15-tris-pentafluorophenylcorrole, and
5,15-pentafluorophenyl-10-(4-methoxyphenyl)corrole, were synthesized using modified
methods reported previously.64,66,82-84 1H NMR spectroscopic measurements were made
on a Brüker spectrometer operating at 400 MHz. Electronic absorption spectra were
acquired on a Cary 50 spectrophotometer. Infrared spectra (2% sample in KBr) were
recorded with a ThermoNicolet Avatar 360 spectrophotometer running the OMNIC
software. High-resolution mass spectra were acquired on a Brüker Fourier Transform Ion
Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer APEX IV at Peking University. All stopped-
flow data were obtained using a SX20 stopped-flow spectroscopy purchased from the
Applied Photophysics Ltd. All UV-Vis spectra in stopped-flow studies were recorded in
the wavelength range of 300−700 nm at 20 °C.
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Synthesis of complex 1. A solution of 5,15-pentafluorophenyl-10-(4-
nitrophenyl)corrole (220 mg, 0.29 mmol) and cupric acetate hydrate (290 mg, 1.46
mmol) in 20 mL of pyridine was stirred at room temperature for 30 min. The solvent was
then evaporated, and the purple residue was purified by column chromatography.
Fluorescent green-red colored fractions were collected, and recrystallization in
chloroform with slow vapor diffusion of n-pentane at −10 °C yielded purple crystals of 1
in 2 weeks (154 mg, 0.19 mmol, yield 65%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 8.38 (d, J
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= 8.5 Hz, 2H), 8.00 (d, J = 3.5 Hz, 2H), 7.79 (d, J = 8.5 Hz, 2H), 7.46 (d, J = 3.5 Hz, 2H),
7.25 (d, J = 4.5 Hz, 2H); 7.13 (d, J = 4.5 Hz, 2H). FTIR data (2% KBr pellet): 1650 (s),
1596 (s), 1520 (s), 1493 (s), 1442 (sh), 1425 (s), 1343 (s), 1278 (s), 1263 (m), 1174 (m),
1140 (w), 1111 (w), 1064 (s), 1029 (s), 1011 (s), 988 (s), 949 (s), 901 (w), 872 (s), 844
(s), 822 (m), 794 (s), 762 (s), 718 (s), 646 (m), 572 (w), 508 (m). Anal. Calcd. for
C37H12CuF10N5O2: C, 54.72; H, 1.49; N, 8.62. Found: C, 55.02; H, 1.60; N, 8.34. High
resolution mass spectrometry: calcd., 811.0127; found, 811.0136 (Figure S1).
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Synthesis of complex 2. A solution of 5,10,15-tris-pentafluorophenylcorrole (147
mg, 0.18 mmol) and cupric acetate hydrate (147 mg, 0.74 mmol) in 15 mL of pyridine
was stirred at room temperature for 30 min. The solvent was then evaporated, and the
purple residue was purified by column chromatography. Fluorescent green-red colored
fractions were collected, and recrystallization in dichloromethane with slow vapor
diffusion of n-pentane at −10 °C yielded purple crystals of 2 in 2 weeks (100 mg, 0.12
mmol, yield 65%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 7.97 (d, J = 4.9 Hz, 2H), 7.38 (d, J =
4.9 Hz, 2H), 7.19 (d, J = 4.9 Hz, 2H), 7.02 (d, J = 4.9 Hz, 2H). FTIR data (2% KBr
pellet): 1781 (w), 1730 (w), 1650 (s), 1569 (s), 1522 (s), 1493 (s), 1445 (s), 1379 (s),
1329 (s), 1274 (s), 1248 (m), 1176 (s), 1121 (m), 1106 (m), 1081 (s), 1064 (s), 1041 (s),
1022 (s), 992 (s), 953 (s), 935 (s), 889 (s), 847 (s), 822 (m), 796 (m), 763 (s), 752 (s), 738
(s), 702 (m), 683 (m), 643 (w), 530 (w), 504 (w). Anal. Calcd. for C37H8CuF15N4: C,
51.85; H, 0.94; N, 6.54. Found: C, 52.12; H, 1.10; N, 6.34. High resolution mass
spectrometry: calcd., 855.9805; found, 855.9826 (Figure S2).
Synthesis of complex 3. To a stirred solution of complex 2 (165 mg, 0.19 mmol)
in 40 mL of chloroform, was added liquid bromine (300 µL, 5.7 mmol) dissolved in 16
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mL of chloroform over a period of 15 min at room temperature. After the mixture was
stirred for 1 h, pyridine (200 µL, 2.5 mmol) dissolved in 16 mL of chloroform was added
dropwise over a period of 15 min and the solution was then stirred for another 1 h. The
reaction mixture was shaken with 15 mL of 20% (w/v) aqueous sodium metabisulfite.
The organic phase was separated, and the solvent was evaporated. The residue was
purified by column chromatography. Fluorescent green colored fractions were collected,
and recrystallization in dichloromethane with slow vapor diffusion of n-pentane at −10
°C afforded 3 in 41% yield (114 mg, 0.076 mmol). FTIR data (2% KBr pellet): 1654 (m),
1524 (s), 1500 (s), 1439 (s), 1328 (s), 1272 (s), 1211 (w), 1101 (m), 1083 (m), 1040 (s),
989 (s), 980 (sh), 871 (s), 849 (m), 791 (m), 754 (s), 669 (w). Anal. Calcd. for
C37Br8CuF15N4: C, 29.86; N, 3.76. Found: C, 29.55; N, 3.70. High resolution mass
spectrometry: calcd., 1487.2565 (100% peak); found, 1487.2536 (Figure S3).
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Synthesis of complex 4. A solution of 5,15-pentafluorophenyl-10-(4-
methoxyphenyl)corrole (300 mg, 0.41 mmol) and cupric acetate hydrate (400 mg, 2.0
mmol) in 30 mL of pyridine was stirred at room temperature for 30 min. The solvent was
evaporated, and the purple residue was purified by column chromatography. Fluorescent
green-red colored fractions were collected, and recrystallization in dichloromethane with
slow vapor diffusion of n-pentane at −10 °C afforded 4 in 71% yield (228 mg, 0.28
1
mmol). H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 7.96 (d, J = 4.0 Hz, 2H), 7.57 (d, J = 8.5 Hz,
2H), 7.46 (d, J = 4.0 Hz, 2H), 7.30 (d, J = 4.4 Hz, 2H), 7.23 (d, J = 4.4 Hz, 2H), 7.03 (d, J
= 8.5 Hz, 2H), 3.93 (s, 3H). FTIR data (2% KBr pellet): 1777 (w), 1650 (s), 1603 (s),
1573 (m), 1518 (s), 1493 (s), 1441 (s), 1427 (s), 1402 (m), 1361 (m), 1341 (s), 1299 (s),
1279 (s), 1254 (s), 1178 (s), 1144 (m), 1113 (w), 1064 (s), 1028 (s), 988 (s), 953 (s), 890
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(m), 848 (s), 835 (s), 817 (s), 795 (s), 761 (s), 731 (m), 708 (s), 648 (w), 600 (s), 574 (m),
526 (m), 456 (w). Anal. Calcd. for C38H15CuF10N4O: C, 57.26; H, 1.90; N, 7.03. Found:
C, 57.56; H, 2.01; N, 7.18. High resolution mass spectrometry: calcd., 796.0382; found,
796.0374 (Figure S4).
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Electrochemical methods. All electrochemical measurements were performed
using a CH Instruments (model CHI660E Electrochemical Analyzer). CVs recorded in
acetonitrile (0.1 M Bu4NPF6) used a three compartment cell possessing a 0.07 cm2 glassy
carbon electrode as the working electrode, Pt wire as the auxiliary electrode, and Ag as a
reference electrode. The solution was bubbled with nitrogen for at least 30 min before
analysis, and the purity of the electrolyte medium was confirmed over the available
electrochemical window through background scans taken prior to the addition of analyte.
Ferrocene was used as an internal standard. The H2 gas produced during electrocatalysis
was detected by SP-6890 Gas Chromatograph.
Stability evaluation of 1 in the dark. An acetonitrile solution of 1 (4.0×10−6 M)
with 0.43 M TFA was prepared at room temperature, and its absorption spectrum
(300−700 nm) was acquired every 2 h from 0 to 12 h. No detectable decomposition of 1
could be observed after 12 h. In a separate experiment, an acetonitrile solution of 1
(8.0×10−6 M) was quickly diluted with an equivolume TFA at room temperature, and the
absorption spectrum (300−700 nm) of the resulting solution was recorded immediately
after the mixing, and another three spectra were recorded at 0.5, 1.0 and 10 h after the
mixing. No detectable decomposition of 1 could be observed after 10 h in this 1:1 (v/v)
mixture of TFA and acetonitrile.
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Stability evaluation of 1 under irradiation. The sample in the measuring cell
was kept under the irradiation of a 150 W Xe-lamp equipped with the SX20 stopped-flow
instrument. In the absence of TFA: an acetonitrile solution of 1 (7.9×10−5 M) was mixed
with an equivolume of pure acetonitrile in the measuring cell in the stopped-flow
instrument. A UV-Vis spectrum (300−700 nm) was recorded immediately after the
mixing, and another two spectra were recorded 0.5 and 4.5 h after the mixing. The
decomposition of 1 could be observed after 0.5 h, and complete decomposition was
observed after 4.5 h. In the presence of TFA: an acetonitrile solution of 1 (7.9×10−5 M)
was mixed with an equivolume of TFA in the measuring cell, and UV-Vis spectra
(300−700 nm) were recorded. The concentrations of 1 and TFA in the measuring cell
were estimated to be 4.0×10−5 M and ~6.5 M. Complex 1 decomposed completely in
2000 s in the presence of a large excess of TFA under Xe-lamp irradiation.
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Reduction of 1 by NaBH4 monitored by stopped-flow. A 1.6 mg sample of 1
was dissolved in degassed acetonitrile to a volume of 25.00 mL (7.9×10−5 M). NaBH4
(6.0 mg) was dissolved in degassed acetonitrile to a volume of 100.00 mL (1.6×10−3 M).
The two solutions were mixed in the stopped-flow instrument by a volume ratio of 1:1,
and the UV-Vis spectra were recorded immediately after the mixing. The concentration
of 1 and NaBH4 in the measuring cell of the stopped-flow was estimated to be 4.0×10−5
M and 8.0×10−4 M, respectively.
Formation and decay of hydride intermediate monitored by stopped-flow.
Equivolume acetonitrile solutions of NaBH4 (1.6×10−3 M) and 1 (7.9×10−5 M) were
mixed in the pre-mix cell equipped with the SX20 stopped-flow instrument for 1 min for
quantitative conversion of 1 to [(Cor)Cu]2−. A freshly prepared acetonitrile solution of
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TFA (0.316 M) and the pre-mixed solution were then injected and mixed in the cell with
a volume ratio of 1:1. The formation of the hydride intermediate [(Cor)CuH]− was
monitored by absorption spectroscopy immediately after the mixing. The concentrations
of 1, NaBH4 and TFA in the measuring cell in the stopped-flow instrument were
estimated to be 2.0×10−5 M, 4.0×10−4 M and 0.158 M, respectively. The absorption of
this hydride intermediate reached the maximum in 2 s and started to decay after that. It is
worth noting that less than 2.40×10−2 µmol of H2 would be formed in this process in a 20
µL optical cell equipped with the stopped-flow instrument. As it is known that 6.85×10−2
µmol of H2 could be dissolved in 20 µL of acetonitrile,85 the generated H2 will have
negligible influence on the measurement.
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Controlled potential UV-Vis spectroelectrochemistry studies of 1. A three-
electrode configuration was employed using a CH Instruments potentiostat with CH
Instruments 840B software. The glassy-carbon working electrode (1 mm diameter) was
treated in a sequence of polishing by alumina oxide (0.25 µm) and washing by ethanol
and deionized water. Ag and Pt wires were used as the reference and counter electrodes,
respectively. A 4.8 mg sample of 1 was dissolved in 25.00 mL of degassed acetonitrile
with 0.1 M (NBu4)PF6 as the electrolyte, and 300 µL of this resulting solution was further
diluted by another 3.0 mL of 0.1 M (NBu4)PF6 acetonitrile solution to make the final
concentration of 1 to be 2.2×10−5 M, which is capable for UV-Vis measurements. The
solution was added into a quartz cell equipped with an electrochemical setup, and was
bubbled by ultrapure nitrogen (presaturated with acetonitrile vapor) during UV-Vis
spectroelectrochemistry measurements at controlled potential electrolysis −1.50 V. UV-
Vis spectra (300−700 nm) were recorded using the SHIMADZU UV-3100 UV-Vis-NIR
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spectrophotometer during the electrolysis. After electrolysis, 1 µl of TFA was injected
into the quartz cell using microsyringe, and UV-Vis spectra were then recorded.
Computational Details. All calculations were performed using the density
functional theory (DFT) functional BP86/def-SVP as implemented in the Gaussian 09
software.86 Solvent effect was considered in all geometry optimizations and property
calculations using the conductor-like polarizable continuum model (CPCM).87 The
absorption spectrum of the hydride intermediate was calculated using time-dependent
DFT method at the same level. The energies were corrected by single point calculations
using a larger basis set, Def2-TZVP for all the atoms. For the absolute solvation free
energy of the proton in acetonitrile, a value of −260.2 kcal/mol was used.88 Reference
potential of NHE was set at −4.28 V for the redox potential calculations. The potentials
relative to ferrocene were then calculated by assuming ferrocene to be 0.40 V vs NHE in
water.
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Supporting Information. Absorption spectrum simulation studies; X-ray diffraction
studies and crystallographic data as CIFs for complex 1 (CCDC 988459) and complex 2
(CCDC 988460); Figure S1−S21; Table S1; Cartesian Coordiantes for the key species.
This information is available free of charge via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org/.
Acknowledgements. This work is supported by grants from the “Thousand Young
Talents” program in China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.
21101170 to R.C., No. 21322108 to X.F., No. 21203245 to W.Z.L.), the Fundamental
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Research Funds for the Central Universities and the Research Funds of Renmin
University of China.
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Author Information. The authors declare no competing financial interest.
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