Catalyst for water oxidation adopted from plants: a means for energy-efficient production of hydrogen?

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A manganese-oxo complex with a cubic Mn4O47 core catalyzes the electrooxidation of water when suspended within the aqueous channels of a Nafion membrane (see picture). Illumination with visible light under an applied potential of 1.0 V (vs AgAgCl) ge ...
A manganese-oxo complex with a cubic {Mn4O4}7+ core catalyzes the electrooxidation of water when suspended within the aqueous channels of a Nafion membrane (see picture). Illumination with visible light under an applied potential of 1.0 V (vs Ag/AgCl) generates current over one thousand turnovers. The catalytically active species arises from photolysis and subsequent dissociation of the manganese complex. (c) Wiley-VCH 2008
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Hydrogen will be one of the most important fuels of the future. It would be ideal to obtain hydrogen by splitting water instead of from petroleum. However, the electrolysis of water is a very energy intensive process, making it both expensive and unsustainable if the electricity necessary to generate it comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Photolysis, the splitting of water by light, is a highly promising alternative.


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