Investigation of the Catalytic Ability of Iron Complexes Containing Pendant Proton Relays for Proton Reduction

In previous studies, a series of iron(III) complexes containing polypyridyl ligands have been found to be highly active for reducing protons into hydrogen gas. When these complexes are paired with fluorescein (chromophore) and triethylamine (sacrificial electron donor) in 1:1 water:ethanol mixture, hydrogen evolution is observed with high TON (~2100). To this end, modified polypyridyl ligands with pendant amine groups and carboxylic acid groups are used in the synthesis of a new hydrogen-evolving iron complex