Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution from neutral water by molecular cobalt tripyridine–diamine complexes

Abstract

A cobalt complex with a tripyridine-diamine pentadentate ligand was found to be a highly active catalyst for electrochemical H2 production from neutral water, with an activity of 860 mol H2 (mol cat)(-1) h(-1) (cm(2) Hg)(-1) over 60 h CPE experiment at -1.25 V in a pH 7 phosphate buffer solution, without considerable deactivation.