A cobalt(ii) quaterpyridine complex as a visible light-driven catalyst for both water oxidation and reduction

The complex CoII(qpy)(OH2)22+ (qpy = 2,2′:6′,2′′:6′′,2′′′-quaterpyridine) is an efficient visible light-driven catalyst for both water oxidation and reduction. It catalyses photochemical oxygen evolution from water at pH 8.0 with RuII(bpy)32+/S2O82− (λ = 457 nm, max TON = 335, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine). It also catalyses photochemical hydrogen generation from IrIII(dF(CF3)ppy)2(dtbbpy)+/TEOA (dF(CF3)ppy = anion of 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-5-trifluoromethylpyridine, dtbbpy = 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine, TEOA = triethanolamine) in aqueous acetonitrile (λ > 420 nm, max TON = 1730).