Photocatalytic hydrogen production from water employing a Ru, Rh, Ru molecular device for photoinitiated electron collection

A molecular device for photoinitiated electron collection at a metal center, [{(bPY)(2)Ru(dPP)}(2)RhCl2](PF6)(5), has been studied and shown to photocatalytically produce H-2 from H2O. This system absorbs visible light and in the presence of an electron donor is reduced by multiple electrons. In the presence of water, the [{(bpy)(2)Ru(dPP)}(2)RhCl2](PF6)(5) system photocatalytically produces H-2 that varies linearly with photolysis time. The photocatalyst functions in the presence of chloride, but the yield of H2 is lower, consistent with chloride loss being important in the photocatalysis cycle.