Completing a Charge Transport Chain for Artificial Photosynthesis

Abstract

A ruthenium polypyridyl chromophore with electronically isolated triarylamine substituents has been synthesized which models the role of tyrosine in the electron transport chain in Photosystem II. When bound to the surface of a TiO₂ electrode, electron injection from a Ru(II) Metal-to-Ligand Charge Transfer (MLCT) excited state occurs from the complex to the electrode to give Ru(III). Subsequent rapid electron transfer from the pendant triarylamine to Ru(III) occurs with an observed rate constant of ~10¹⁰ s^-1 which is limited by the rate of electron injection into the semiconductor. Transfer of the oxidative equivalent away from the semiconductor surface results in dramatically reduced rates of back electron transfer, and a long lived (τ = ~165 µs) triarylamine radical cation that has been used to oxidize hydroquinone to quinone in solution.