A series of eight new and three known cobalt polypyridyl‐based hydrogen‐evolving catalysts (HECs) with distinct electronic and structural differences are benchmarked in photocatalytic runs in water. Methylene‐bridged bis‐bipyridyl is the preferred scaffold, both in terms of stability and rate. For a cobalt complex of the tetradentate methanol‐bridged bispyridyl–bipyridyl complex [CoIIBr(tpy)]Br, a detailed mechanistic picture is obtained by combining electrochemistry, spectroscopy, and photocatalysis. In the acidic branch, a proton‐coupled electron transfer, assigned to formation of CoIII−H, is found upon reduction of CoII, in line with a pKa(CoIII−H) of approximately 7.25. Subsequent reduction (−0.94 V vs. NHE) and protonation close the catalytic cycle. Methoxy substitution on the bipyridyl scaffold results in the expected cathodic shift of the reduction, but fails to change the pKa(CoIII−H). An analysis of the outcome of the benchmarking in view of this postulated mechanism is given along with an outlook for design criteria for new generations of catalysts.

Cobalt complexes are well-known catalysts for photocatalytic proton reduction in water. Macrocyclic tetrapyridyl ligands (pyrphyrins) and their Co complexes emerged in this context as a highly efficient class of H evolution catalysts. On the basis of this framework, a new macrocyclic Co complex consisting of two keto-bridged bipyridyl units (Co diketo-pyrphyrin) is presented. The complex is synthesized along a convenient route, is well soluble in water, and shows high activity as a water reduction catalyst (WRC). In an aqueous system containing [Ru(bpy)]Cl as a photosensitizer and NaAscO as a sacrificial electron donor, turnover numbers (TONs) of 2500 H/Co were achieved. Catalysis is terminated by a limited electron supply and decomposition of the photosensitizer but not of the WRC, highlighting the distinct stability of Co diketo-pyrphyrin.

Molecular and heterogeneous water reduction combined: Over 2 days of electrocatalysis of a cobalt polypyridyl catalyst immobilized on TiO2.

Suitable corrosion inhibitors are of prime importance in order to prevent degradation of surfaces by oxidizing chemicals. In this work we studied ten symmetrical thiourea derivatives on aluminum and their efficacy in preventing oxidation by hydrochloric acid computationally and experimentally. We carried out DFT calculations of the inhibitors in both tautomer forms adsorbed on an aluminum-terminated α-alumina surface, focusing on the structure and energetics of adsorption as well as electronic properties. Chemisorption is dominated by electron transfer from the inhibitor S atom toward the surface as well as into the first few layers of the solid. We find that the aggregated amount of transferred charge is an important parameter of the system that correlates with the inhibition efficiency as determined with potentiodynamic measurements. The measurements indicate that the thiourea derivatives are cathodic-type inhibitors, which hinder the reduction of protons and thus indirectly the surface oxidation. This is rationalized with the formation of a positively charged layer on the surface that may repel protons. Our results may serve to further improve corrosion inhibitors on this technologically important surface.

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