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Organoselenium Ligand Enabled Selective Electron Tuning for Switchable Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Svastik Jaiswal¹, Raushan Kumar Jha¹, Devendra Parganiha¹

¹Department of Chemistry, Indian Institution of Science Education and Research, Bhopal By-pass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462066, India.

Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)

|January 20, 2025

Summary

Nickel selenoether electrocatalysts offer tunable reaction centers for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Ligand-centered pathways show high efficiency, while metal-centered pathways provide excellent selectivity, revealing crucial electronic effects.

Keywords:

Electrocatalysts Electronic tuning Hydrogen evolution reaction Nickel selenoether Switchable reaction

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Protein Film Infrared Electrochemistry Demonstrated for Study of H2 Oxidation by a [NiFe] Hydrogenase

Published on: December 4, 2017

Area of Science:

* Inorganic Chemistry
* Electrochemistry
* Catalysis

Background:

* Understanding metal complex electronic structures is key for advancing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysis.
* The precise role of metal and ligand electronic effects in modulating HER reaction centers remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

* To investigate nickel selenoether electrocatalysts with tunable reaction centers for HER.
* To analyze the electronic modulation of metal and ligand centers in HER catalysis.

Main Methods:

* Synthesis and electrochemical characterization of nickel selenoether electrocatalysts.
* Kinetic isotopic effect (KIE) studies using deuterated acetic acid (CD3CO2D).
* Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory (DFT) computations.

Main Results:

* Nickel selenoether electrocatalysts exhibited tunable HER pathways: ligand-centered (14000 s⁻¹, 93% F.E.) and metal-centered (2110 s⁻¹, 98% F.E.).
* KIE values (0.49 and 13.01) and EPR studies confirmed distinct metal-centered and ligand-centered radical mechanisms.
* DFT and electrochemical studies highlighted the selenoether ligand's electron reservoir role in dictating reaction pathways.

Conclusions:

* Selenoether ligands in nickel complexes can effectively tune reaction centers for highly efficient and selective HER.
* The electronic density of the ligand is critical for controlling HER mechanisms, offering new avenues for catalyst design.