Fluorophore Metal-Organic Complexes: High-Throughput Optical Screening for Aprotic Electrochemical Systems

Combinatorial optical screening of aprotic electrocatalysts has not yet been achieved primarily due to H⁺-associated mechanisms of fluorophore modulation. We have overcome this problem by using fluorophore metal-organic complexes. In particular, eosin Y and quinine can be coordinated with various metallic cations (e.g., Li⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Al³⁺) in aprotic solvents, triggering changes in their fluorescent properties. These interactions have been used in a reliable screening method to determine oxygen reduction/evolution reaction activities of 100 Mn-based binary catalysts for the aprotic Li-air battery.