Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production using Polymeric Carbon Nitride with a Hydrogenase and a Bioinspired Synthetic Ni Catalyst

Solar-light-driven H-2 production in water with a [NiFeSe]-hydrogenase (H(2)ase) and a bioinspired synthetic nickel catalyst (NiP) in combination with a heptazine carbon nitride polymer, melon (CNx), is reported. The semibiological and purely synthetic systems show catalytic activity during solar light irradiation with turnover numbers (TONs) of more than 50000molH(2)(molH(2)ase)(-1) and approximately 155molH(2)(molNiP)(-1) in redox-mediator-free aqueous solution at pH6 and 4.5, respectively. Both systems maintained a reduced photoactivity under UV-free solar light irradiation (>420 nm).