Anodic deposition of a robust iridium-based water-oxidation catalyst from organometallic precursors

Artificial photosynthesis, modeled on natural light-driven oxidation of water in Photosystem II, holds promise as a sustainable source of reducing equivalents for producing fuels. Few robust water-oxidation catalysts capable of mediating this difficult four-electron, four-proton reaction have yet been described. We report a new method for generating an amorphous electrodeposited material, principally consisting of iridium and oxygen, which is a robust and long-lived catalyst for water oxidation, when driven electrochemically. The catalyst material is generated by a simple anodic deposition from Cp*Ir aqua or hydroxo complexes in aqueous solution. This work suggests that organometallic precursors may be useful in electrodeposition of inorganic heterogeneous catalysts.