The electrochemistry of nanolayered Mn oxides in the presence of LiClO4 at pH = 6.3 under different conditions was studied.

Two Ni complexes are reported with κ4-P2N2 β-diimino (BDI) ligands with the general formula [Ni­(XBDI)]­(BF4)2, where BDI is N-(2-(diphenylphosphaneyl)­ethyl)-4-((2-(diphenylphosphaneyl)­ethyl)­imino)­pent-2-en-2-amine and X indicates the substituent in the α-carbon intradiimine position, X = H for 1(BF4)2 and X = Ph for 2(BF4)2. Electrochemical analysis together with UV–vis and NMR spectroscopy in acetonitrile and dimethylformamide (DMF) indicates the conversion of the β-diimino complexes 12+ and 22+ to the negatively charged β-diketiminato (BDK) analogues (1-H)+ and (2-H)+ via deprotonation in DMF. Moreover, further electrochemical and spectroscopy evidence indicates that the one-electron-reduced derivatives 1+ and 2+ can also rapidly evolve to the BDK (1-H)+ and (2-H)+, respectively, via hydrogen gas evolution through a bimolecular homolytic pathway. Finally, both complexes are demonstrated to be active for the proton reduction reaction in DMF at E app = −1.8 V vs Fc+/0, being the active species the one-electron-reduced derivative 1-H and 2-H.

A low-cost and very simple method to synthesize an efficient water-oxidizing nickel-based electrode was reported.

A cost effective and very simple method to synthesize an efficient water-oxidizing iron-based oxide deposited on Ni foam was reported.