Synthesis, characterization and electrocatalytic performance of a cobalt(II) complex of N-phenylpyridin-2-ylmethanimine

摘要

N-phenylpyridin-2-ylmethanimine, HL reacts with CoBr2 to afford a water-soluble cobalt(II) complex [Co-II(HL)(2)Br-2] 1, whose crystal structure has been determined by X-ray diffraction. Electrochemical studies show that this complex can electrocatalyze hydrogen generation from a neutral buffer with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 875.17 mol of hydrogen per mole of catalyst per hour (mol H-2/mol catalyst/h) at an overpotential (OP) of 837.6 mV. Compared with the cobalt complex 1, the previously described nickel(II) complex [Ni(HL)(2)Cl-2] (970.45 mol H-2/mol catalyst/h at an OP of 837.6 mV) exhibits more efficient activity for hydrogen evolution.