Immobilizing Ru(bda) Catalyst on a Photoanode via Electrochemical Polymerization for Light-Driven Water Splitting

The molecular water oxidation catalyst 1 was electrochemically polymerized on a dye-sensitized TiO2 electrode and an Fe2O3 nanorod electrode. High photocurrent densities of ca. 1.4 mA cm(-2) for poly-1+RuP@TiO2 and ca. 0.4 mA cm(-2) for poly-1@Fe2O3 were achieved under pH-neutral conditions. A kinetic isotope effect (KIE) study on poly-1+RuP@TiO2 shows that poly-1 catalyzes water oxidation on the surface of TiO2 via a radical coupling mechanism.