Comparison of Metals as Catalysts for the Photolysis of Water

摘要

A study of the platinum-catalyzed photolysis of water to produce hydrogen is described. Experiments indicated that rhodium could be substituted for platinum as catalyst, that palladium was feebly effective, and that ruthenium, gold, iridium, and silver were not effective. Studies of related ruthenium and iron complexes showed that ruthenium-phenanthroline and iron-phenanthroline complexes could work as light-absorbing species in place of a more studied ruthenium-bipyridine complex; europium ion showed some promise as an electron-transfer reagent. Preliminary experiments suggest that hydrogenation of double bonds occurs in the system.