Redox Active Ligands for Catalyzing the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

Boron subphthalocyanines with chloride and fluoride axial ligands and three antimony complexes chelated by corroles that differ in size and electron-richness were examined as electrocatalysts for reduction of protons to hydrogen. Experiment- and computation-based investigations revealed that all redox events are ligand-centered and that the meso-C of the corroles and the peripheral N atoms of the subphthalocyanines are the largely preferred proton-binding sites.

Keywords: Antimony corrole; Boron subphthalocyanines; Catalysis; Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); Reaction mechanism.