Efficient Photocatalytic Water Reduction Using In Situ Generated Knolker's Iron Complexes

In situ generated iron-based Knolker complexes were found to be efficient catalysts in a fully non-noble metal Cu-Fe photocatalytic water reduction system. These mononuclear iron catalysts were able to generate hydrogen up to 15 times faster than previously reported [Fe-3(CO)(12)]. A reductive quenching mechanism was shown to operate by fluorescence experiments.