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Updated: Apr 11, 2026

Developing Photosensitizer-Cobaloxime Hybrids for Solar-Driven H2 Production in Aqueous Aerobic Conditions
Published on: October 5, 2019
Aqueous light driven hydrogen production by a Ru-ferredoxin-Co biohybrid
S R Soltau1, J Niklas, P D Dahlberg
1Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA. utschig@anl.gov.
Abstract:
Herein we report the creation of a novel solar fuel biohybrid for light-driven H2 production utilizing the native electron transfer protein ferredoxin (Fd) as a scaffold for binding of a ruthenium photosensitizer (PS) and a molecular cobaloxime catalyst (Co). EPR and transient optical experiments provide direct evidence of a long-lived (>1.5 ms) Ru(III)-Fd-Co(I) charge separated state formed via an electron relay through the Fd [2Fe-2S] cluster, initiating the catalytic cycle for 2H(+) + 2e(-) → H2.
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