Atom Proton Transfer Research Articles

The Impact of Ligand Carboxylates on Electrocatalyzed Water Oxidation.

ConspectusFossil fuel shortage and severe climate changes due to global warming have prompted extensive research on carbon-neutral and renewable energy resources. Hydrogen gas (H2), a clean and high energy density fuel, has emerged as a potential solution for both fulfilling energy demands and diminishing the emission of greenhouse gases. Currently, water oxidation (WO) constitutes the bottleneck in the overall process of producing H2 from water. As a result, the design of efficient catalysts for WO has become an intensively pursued area of research in recent years. Among all the molecular catalysts reported to date, ruthenium-based catalysts have attracted particular attention due to their robust nature and higher activity compared to catalysts based on other transition metals.Over the past two decades, we and others have studied a wide range of ruthenium complexes displaying impressive catalytic performance for WO in terms of turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF). However, to produce practically applicable electrochemical, photochemical, or photo-electrochemical WO reactors, further improvement of the catalysts’ structure to decrease the overpotential and increase the WO rate is of utmost importance. WO reaction, that is, the production of molecular oxygen and protons from water, requires the formation of an O–O bond through the orchestration of multiple proton and electron transfers. Promotion of these processes using redox noninnocent ligand frameworks that can accept and transfer electrons has therefore attracted substantial attention. The strategic modifications of the ligand structure in ruthenium complexes to enable proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) and atom proton transfer (APT; in the context of WO, it is the oxygen atom (metal oxo) transfer to the oxygen atom of a water molecule in concert with proton transfer to another water molecule) to facilitate the O–O bond formation have played a central role in these efforts.In particular, promising results have been obtained with ligand frameworks containing carboxylic acid groups that either are directly bonded to the metal center or reside in the close vicinity. The improvement of redox and chemical properties of the catalysts by introduction of carboxylate groups in the ligands has proven to be quite general as demonstrated for a range of mono- and dinuclear ruthenium complexes featuring ligand scaffolds based on pyridine, imidazole, and pyridazine cores. In the first coordination sphere, the carboxylate groups are firmly coordinated to the metal center as negatively charged ligands, improving the stability of the complexes and preventing metal leaching during catalysis. Another important phenomenon is the reduction of the potentials required for the formation of higher valent intermediates, especially metal-oxo species, which take active part in the key O–O bond formation step. Furthermore, the free carboxylic acid/carboxylate units in the proximity to the active center have shown exciting proton donor/acceptor properties (through PCET or APT, chemically noninnocent) that can dramatically improve the rate as well as the overpotential of the WO reaction.

Crossing the bridge from molecular catalysis to a heterogenous electrode in electrocatalytic water oxidation

Significant progress has been made in designing single-site molecular Ru(II)-polypyridyl-aqua catalysts for homogenous catalytic water oxidation. Surface binding and transfer of the catalytic reactivity onto conductive substrates provides a basis for heterogeneous applications in electrolytic cells and dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells (DSPECs). Earlier efforts have focused on phosphonic acid (-PO3H2) or carboxylic acid (-CO2H) bindings on oxide surfaces. However, issues remain with limited surface stabilities, especially in aqueous solutions at higher pH under conditions that favor water oxidation by reducing the thermodynamic barrier and accelerating the catalytic rate using atom-proton transfer (APT) pathways. Here, we address the problem by combining silane surface functionalization and surface reductive electropolymerization on mesoporous, nanofilms of indium tin oxide (ITO) on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates (FTO|nanoITO). FTO|nanoITO electrodes were functionalized with vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) to introduce vinyl groups on the electrode surfaces by silane attachment, followed by surface electropolymerization of the vinyl-derivatized complex, [RuII(Mebimpy)(dvbpy)(OH2)]2+ (12+; Mebimpy: 2,6-bis(1-methyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)pyridine; dvbpy: 5,5'-divinyl-2,2'-bipyridine), in a mechanism dominated by a grafting-through method. The surface coverage of catalyst 12+ was controlled by the number of electropolymerization cycles. The combined silane attachment/cross-linked polymer network stabilized 12+ on the electrode surface under a variety of conditions especially at pH > ∼6. Surface-grafted poly12+ was stable toward redox cycling at pH ∼ 7.5 over an ∼4-h period. Sustained heterogeneous electrocatalytic water oxidation by the electrode gave steady-state currents for at least ∼6 h with a Faradaic efficiency of ∼68% for O2 production.

Lability and Basicity of Bipyridine-Carboxylate-Phosphonate Ligand Accelerate Single-Site Water Oxidation by Ruthenium-Based Molecular Catalysts.

A critical step in creating an artificial photosynthesis system for energy storage is designing catalysts that can thrive in an assembled device. Single-site catalysts have an advantage over bimolecular catalysts because they remain effective when immobilized. Hybrid water oxidation catalysts described here, combining the features of single-site bis-phosphonate catalysts and fast bimolecular bis-carboxylate catalysts, have reached turnover frequencies over 100 s-1, faster than both related catalysts under identical conditions. The new [(bpHc)Ru(L)2] (bpH2cH = 2,2'-bipyridine-6-phosphonic acid-6'-carboxylic acid, L = 4-picoline or isoquinoline) catalysts proceed through a single-site water nucleophilic attack pathway. The pendant phosphonate base mediates O-O bond formation via intramolecular atom-proton transfer with a calculated barrier of only 9.1 kcal/mol. Additionally, the labile carboxylate group allows water to bind early in the catalytic cycle, allowing intramolecular proton-coupled electron transfer to lower the potentials for oxidation steps and catalysis. That a single-site catalyst can be this fast lends credence to the possibility that the oxygen evolving complex adopts a similar mechanism.

Electrochemical Formation of FeV (O) and Mechanism of Its Reaction with Water During O-O Bond Formation.

A detailed electrochemical investigation of a series of iron complexes (biuret-modified tetraamido iron macrocycles FeIII -bTAML), including the first electrochemical generation of FeV (O), and demonstration of their efficacy as homogeneous catalysts for electrochemical water oxidation (WO) in aqueous medium are reported. Spectroelectrochemical and mass spectral studies indicated FeV (O) as the active oxidant, formed due to two redox transitions, which were assigned as FeIV (O)/FeIII (OH2 ) and FeV (O)/FeIV (O). The spectral properties of both of these high-valent iron oxo species perfectly match those of their chemically synthesised versions, which were thoroughly characterised by several spectroscopic techniques. The O-O bond-formation step occurs by nucleophilic attack of H2 O on FeV (O). A kinetic isotope effect of 3.2 indicates an atom-proton transfer (APT) mechanism. The reaction of chemically synthesised FeV (O) in CH3 CN and water was directly probed by electrochemistry and was found to be first-order in water. The pKa value of the buffer base plays a critical role in the rate-determining step by increasing the reaction rate several-fold. The electronic effect on redox potential, WO rates, and onset overpotential was studied by employing a series of iron complexes. The catalytic activity was enhanced by the presence of electron-withdrawing groups on the bTAML framework. Changing the substituents from OMe to NO2 resulted in an eightfold increase in reaction rate, while the overpotential increased threefold.

Analysis of Homogeneous Water Oxidation Catalysis with Collector-Generator Cells.

A collector-generator (C-G) technique has been applied to determine the Faradaic efficiencies for electrocatalytic O2 production by the homogeneous water oxidation catalysts Ru(bda)(isoq)2 (1; bda = 2,2'-bipyridine and isoq = isoquinoline) and [Ru(tpy)(bpz)(OH2)](2+) (2; tpy = 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine and bpz = 2,2'-bipyrazine). This technique uses a custom-fabricated cell consisting of two fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) working electrodes separated by 1 mm with the conductive sides facing each other. With a catalyst in solution, water oxidation occurs at one FTO electrode under a sufficient bias to drive O2 formation by the catalyst; the O2 formed then diffuses to the second FTO electrode poised at a potential sufficiently negative to drive O2 reduction. A comparison of the current versus time response at each electrode enables determination of the Faradaic efficiency for O2 production with high concentrations of supporting electrolyte important for avoiding capacitance effects between the electrodes. The C-G technique was applied to electrocatalytic water oxidation by 1 in the presence of the electron-transfer mediator Ru(bpy)3(2+) in both unbuffered aqueous solutions and with the added buffer bases HCO3(-), HPO4(2-), imidazole, 1-methylimidazole, and 4-methoxypyridine. HCO3(-) and HPO4(2-) facilitate water oxidation by atom-proton transfer (APT), which gave Faradaic yields of 100%. With imidazole as the buffer base, coordination to the catalyst inhibited water oxidation. 1-Methylimidazole and 4-methoxypyridine gave O2 yields of 55% and 76%, respectively, with the lower Faradaic efficiencies possibly due to competitive C-H oxidation of the bases. O2 evolution by catalyst 2 was evaluated at pH 12 with 0.1 M PO4(3-) and at pH 7 in a 0.1 M H2PO4(-)/HPO4(2-) buffer. At pH 12, at an applied potential of 0.8 V vs SCE, water oxidation by the Ru(IV)(O)(2+) form of the catalyst gave O2 in 73% yield. In a pH 7 solution, water oxidation at 1.4 V vs SCE, which is dominated by Ru(V)(O)(3+), gave O2 with an efficiency of 100%. The lower efficiency for Ru(IV)(O)(2+) at pH 12 may be due to competitive oxidation of a polypyridyl ligand.

Electron Transfer Mediator Effects in Water Oxidation Catalysis by Solution and Surface-Bound Ruthenium Bpy-Dicarboxylate Complexes

Electrocatalytic water oxidation by the catalyst, ruthenium 2,2′-bipyridine-6,6′-dicarboxylate (bda) bis-isoquinoline (isoq), [Ru(bda)(isoq)2], 1, was investigated at metal oxide electrodes surface-derivatized with electron transfer (ET) mediators. At indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) in pH 7.2 in H2PO4–/HPO42– buffers in 0.5 M NaClO4 with added acetonitrile (MeCN), the catalytic activity of 1 is enhanced by the surface-bound redox mediators [Ru (4,4′-PO3H2-bpy)(4,4′-R-bpy)2]2+ (RuPbpyR22+, R = Br, H, Me, or OMe, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine). Rate-limiting ET between the Ru3+ form of the mediator and the RuIV(O) form in the [RuV/IV(O)]+/0 couple of 1 is observed at relatively high concentrations of HPO42– buffer base under conditions where O···O bond formation is facilitated by atom-proton transfer (APT). For the solution [Ru(bpy)3]3+/2+ mediator couple and 1 as the catalyst, catalytic currents vary systematically with the concentration of mediator and the HPO42– buffer base concentration. Electron transfer mediation of water oxidation catalysis was also investigated on nanoparticle TiO2 electrodes co-loaded with catalyst [Ru(bda)(py-4-O(CH2)3-PO3H2)2], 2, (py = pyridine) and RuPbpyR22+ (R = H, Me, or OMe) with an interplay between rate-limiting catalyst oxidation and rate-limiting O···O bond formation by APT. Lastly, the co-loaded assembly RuPbpyR22+ + 2 has been investigated in a dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cell for water splitting.

Electron Transfer Mediator Effects in the Oxidative Activation of a Ruthenium Dicarboxylate Water Oxidation Catalyst

The mechanism of electrocatalytic water oxidation by the water oxidation catalyst, ruthenium 2,2′-bipyridine-6,6′-dicarboxylate (bda) bis-isoquinoline (isoq), [Ru(bda)(isoq)2], 1, at metal oxide electrodes has been investigated. At indium-doped tin oxide (ITO), diminished catalytic currents and increased overpotentials are observed compared to glassy carbon (GC). At pH 7.2 in 0.5 M NaClO4, catalytic activity is enhanced by the addition of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ (bpy = bipyridine) as a redox mediator. Enhanced catalytic rates are also observed at ITO electrodes derivatized with the surface-bound phosphonic acid derivative [Ru(4,4′-(PO3H2)2bpy)(bpy)2]2+, RuP2+. Controlled potential electrolysis with measurement of O2 at ITO with and without surface-bound RuP2+ confirm that water oxidation catalysis occurs. Remarkable rate enhancements are observed with added acetate and phosphate, consistent with an important mechanistic role for atom-proton transfer (APT) in the rate-limiting step as described previously at GC elect...

Base-enhanced catalytic water oxidation by a carboxylate–bipyridine Ru(II) complex

In aqueous solution above pH 2.4 with 4% (vol/vol) CH3CN, the complex [Ru(II)(bda)(isoq)2] (bda is 2,2'-bipyridine-6,6'-dicarboxylate; isoq is isoquinoline) exists as the open-arm chelate, [Ru(II)(CO2-bpy-CO2(-))(isoq)2(NCCH3)], as shown by (1)H and (13)C-NMR, X-ray crystallography, and pH titrations. Rates of water oxidation with the open-arm chelate are remarkably enhanced by added proton acceptor bases, as measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV). In 1.0 M PO4(3-), the calculated half-time for water oxidation is ∼7 μs. The key to the rate accelerations with added bases is direct involvement of the buffer base in either atom-proton transfer (APT) or concerted electron-proton transfer (EPT) pathways.

Single‐Site Copper(II) Water Oxidation Electrocatalysis: Rate Enhancements with HPO42− as a Proton Acceptor at pH 8

AbstractThe complex CuII(Py3P) (1) is an electrocatalyst for water oxidation to dioxygen in H2PO4−/HPO42− buffered aqueous solutions. Controlled potential electrolysis experiments with 1 at pH 8.0 at an applied potential of 1.40 V versus the normal hydrogen electrode resulted in the formation of dioxygen (84 % Faradaic yield) through multiple catalyst turnovers with minimal catalyst deactivation. The results of an electrochemical kinetics study point to a single‐site mechanism for water oxidation catalysis with involvement of phosphate buffer anions either through atom–proton transfer in a rate‐limiting OO bond‐forming step with HPO42− as the acceptor base or by concerted electron–proton transfer with electron transfer to the electrode and proton transfer to the HPO42− base.

Single-site copper(II) water oxidation electrocatalysis: rate enhancements with HPO₄²⁻ as a proton acceptor at pH 8.

The complex Cu(II)(Py3P) (1) is an electrocatalyst for water oxidation to dioxygen in H2PO4(-)/HPO4(2-) buffered aqueous solutions. Controlled potential electrolysis experiments with 1 at pH 8.0 at an applied potential of 1.40 V versus the normal hydrogen electrode resulted in the formation of dioxygen (84% Faradaic yield) through multiple catalyst turnovers with minimal catalyst deactivation. The results of an electrochemical kinetics study point to a single-site mechanism for water oxidation catalysis with involvement of phosphate buffer anions either through atom-proton transfer in a rate-limiting O-O bond-forming step with HPO4(2-) as the acceptor base or by concerted electron-proton transfer with electron transfer to the electrode and proton transfer to the HPO4(2-) base.

One-electron activation of water oxidation catalysis.

Rapid water oxidation catalysis is observed following electrochemical oxidation of [Ru(II)(tpy)(bpz)(OH)](+) to [Ru(V)(tpy)(bpz)(O)](3+) in basic solutions with added buffers. Under these conditions, water oxidation is dominated by base-assisted Atom Proton Transfer (APT) and direct reaction with OH(-). More importantly, we report here that the Ru(IV)═O(2+) form of the catalyst, produced by 1e(-) oxidation of [Ru(II)(tpy)(bpz)(OH2)](2+) to Ru(III) followed by disproportionation to [Ru(IV)(tpy)(bpz)(O)](2+) and [Ru(II)(tpy)(bpz)(OH2)](2+), is also a competent water oxidation catalyst. The rate of water oxidation by [Ru(IV)(tpy)(bpz)(O)](2+) is greatly accelerated with added PO4(3-) with a turnover frequency of 5.4 s(-1) reached at pH 11.6 with 1 M PO4(3-) at an overpotential of only 180 mV.

The role of proton coupled electron transfer in water oxidation

Water oxidation is a key half reaction in energy conversion schemes based on solar fuels and targets such as light driven water splitting or carbon dioxide reduction into CO, other oxygenates, or hydrocarbons. Carrying out these reactions at rates that exceed the rate of solar insolation for the extended periods of time required for useful applications presents a major challenge. Water oxidation is the key “other” half reaction in these schemes and it is dominated by PCET given its multi-electron, multi-proton character, 2H2O → O2 + 4e− + 4H+. Identification of PCET was an offshoot of experiments designed to investigate energy conversion by electron transfer quenching of molecular excited states. The concepts “redox potential leveling” and concerted electron–proton transfer came from measurements on stepwise oxidation of cis-RuII(bpy)2(py)(OH2)2+ to RuIV(bpy)2(py)(O)2+. The Ru “blue dimer”, cis,cis-(bpy)2(H2O)RuORu(OH2)(bpy)24+, was the first designed catalyst for water oxidation. It undergoes oxidative activation by PCET to give the transient (bpy)2(O)RuVORuV(O)(bpy)24+, O-atom attack on water to give a peroxidic intermediate, and further oxidation and O2 release. More recently, a class of single site water oxidation catalysts has been identified, e.g., Ru(tpy)(bpm)(OH2)2+ (tpy is 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine; bpm is 2,2′-bipyrimidine). They undergo stepwise PCET oxidation to RuIV=O2+ or RuV(O)3+ followed by O-atom transfer with formation of peroxidic intermediates which undergo further oxidation and O2 release. PCET plays a key role in the three zones of water oxidation reactivity: oxidative activation, O⋯O bond formation, oxidation and O2 release from peroxidic intermediates. Similar schemes have been identified for electrocatalytic water oxidation on oxide electrode surfaces based on phosphonated derivatives such as [Ru(Mebimpy)(4,4′-(PO3H2CH2)2bpy)(OH2)]2+. A PCET barrier to RuIII–OH2+ → RuIV=O2+ oxidation arises from the large difference in pKa values between RuIII–OH2+ and RuIV(OH)3+. On oxide surfaces this oxidation occurs by multiple pathways. Kinetic, mechanistic, and DFT results on single site catalysts reveal a new pathway for the O⋯O bond forming step (Atom-Proton Transfer, APT), significant rate enhancements by added proton acceptor bases, and accelerated water oxidation in propylene carbonate as solvent with water added as a stoichiometric reagent. Lessons learned about water oxidation and the role of PCET and concerted pathways appear to have direct relevance for water oxidation in Photosystem II (PSII) with PSII a spectacular example of PCET in action. This includes a key role for Multiple Site-Electron Proton Transfer in oxidative activation of the Oxygen Evolving Complex (OEC) in the S0 → S1 transition in the Kok cycle.

Systematic Investigation of the Catalytic Cycle of a Single Site Ruthenium Oxygen Evolving Complex Using Density Functional Theory

The mechanism of water oxidation by a single site ruthenium oxygen evolving complex is investigated using fully unrestricted pseudospectral B3LYP with the effective core potential LACV3P in continuum solvent with some quantum mechanical waters. Guess wave functions have been used that allow greater flexibility in sampling different electronic configurations of the complex. Systematic comparison with experiment is improved using these guesses because they provide a complete analysis of the low energy manifold and help to alleviate the formal disconnect between theory and experiment in assigning Lewis structures for transition metal complexes. In agreement with results from the literature, the challenging 4e(-)and 4H(+) oxidation of water is accomplished using a mechanism that features three proton coupled electron transfers, one electron transfer, one atom proton transfer (APT), and one ligand exchange (LE). Calculations on a large database of ruthenium complexes allows us to benchmark the computation of reduction half potentials and free energies of activation and to investigate systematic ligand variations and their effect on the reaction mechanism. Mean unsigned errors of reduction half potentials in comparison to experiment are generally small (100-200 mV). The APT and LE steps are found to be rate limiting with free energy barriers of 19.27 and 19.53 kcal/mol respectively, which is in excellent agreement with the ∼20 kcal/mol barrier obtained from experimental rate constants using classical transition state theory.

The OO Bonding in Water Oxidation: the Electronic Structure Portrayal of a Concerted Oxygen Atom–Proton Transfer Pathway

The two-phased reaction: Calculations on the monomeric ruthenium catalyst with 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylic acid reveals an interaction of the RuV=O complex with water that proceeds through ...

Unraveling the Roles of the Acid Medium, Experimental Probes, and Terminal Oxidant, (NH4)2[Ce(NO3)6], in the Study of a Homogeneous Water Oxidation Catalyst

The oxidation of water catalyzed by [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(OH(2))](ClO(4))(2) (1; tpy = 2,2';6'',2''-terpyridine; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) is evaluated in different acidic media at variable oxidant concentrations. The observed rate of dioxygen evolution catalyzed by 1 is found to be highly dependent on pH and the identity of the acid; e.g., d[O(2)]/dt is progressively faster in H(2)SO(4), CF(3)SO(3)H (HOTf), HClO(4), and HNO(3), respectively. This trend does not track with thermodynamic driving force of the electron-transfer reactions between the terminal oxidant, (NH(4))(2)[Ce(NO(3))(6)] (CAN), and Ru catalyst in each of the acids. The particularly high reactivity in HNO(3) is attributed to the NO(3)(-) anion: (i) enabling relatively fast electron-transfer steps; (ii) participating in a base-assisted concerted atom-proton transfer process that circumvents the formation of high energy intermediates during the O-O bond formation process; and (iii) accelerating the liberation of dioxygen from the catalyst. Consequently, the position of the rate-determining step within the catalytic cycle can be affected by the acid medium. These factors collectively contribute to the position of the rate-determining step within the catalytic cycle being affected by the acid medium. This offering also outlines how other experimental issues (e.g., spontaneous decay of the Ce(IV) species in acidic media; CAN/catalyst molar ratio; types of catalytic probes) can affect the Ce(IV)-driven oxidation of water catalyzed by homogeneous molecular complexes.

Concerted O atom–proton transfer in the O—O bond forming step in water oxidation

As the terminal step in photosystem II, and a potential half-reaction for artificial photosynthesis, water oxidation (2H(2)O --> O(2) + 4e(-) + 4H(+)) is key, but it imposes a significant mechanistic challenge with requirements for both 4e(-)/4H(+) loss and O-O bond formation. Significant progress in water oxidation catalysis has been achieved recently by use of single-site Ru metal complex catalysts such as [Ru(Mebimpy)(bpy)(OH(2))](2+) [Mebimpy = 2,6-bis(1-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine]. When oxidized from to Ru(V) = O(3+), these complexes undergo O-O bond formation by O-atom attack on a H(2)O molecule, which is often the rate-limiting step. Microscopic details of O-O bond formation have been explored by quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) simulations the results of which provide detailed insight into mechanism and a strategy for enhancing catalytic rates. It utilizes added bases as proton acceptors and concerted atom-proton transfer (APT) with O-atom transfer to the O atom of a water molecule in concert with proton transfer to the base (B). Base catalyzed APT reactivity in water oxidation is observed both in solution and on the surfaces of oxide electrodes derivatized by attached phosphonated metal complex catalysts. These results have important implications for catalytic, electrocatalytic, and photoelectrocatalytic water oxidation.

Making Oxygen with Ruthenium Complexes

Mastering the production of solar fuels by artificial photosynthesis would be a considerable feat, either by water splitting into hydrogen and oxygen or reduction of CO(2) to methanol or hydrocarbons: 2H(2)O + 4hnu --> O(2) + 2H(2); 2H(2)O + CO(2) + 8hnu --> 2O(2) + CH(4). It is notable that water oxidation to dioxygen is a key half-reaction in both. In principle, these solar fuel reactions can be coupled to light absorption in molecular assemblies, nanostructured arrays, or photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) by a modular approach. The modular approach uses light absorption, electron transfer in excited states, directed long range electron transfer and proton transfer, both driven by free energy gradients, combined with proton coupled electron transfer (PCET) and single electron activation of multielectron catalysis. Until recently, a lack of molecular catalysts, especially for water oxidation, has limited progress in this area. Analysis of water oxidation mechanism for the "blue" Ru dimer cis,cis-[(bpy)(2)(H(2)O)Ru(III)ORu(III)(OH(2))(bpy)(2)](4+) (bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine) has opened a new, general approach to single site catalysts both in solution and on electrode surfaces. As a catalyst, the blue dimer is limited by competitive side reactions involving anation, but we have shown that its rate of water oxidation can be greatly enhanced by electron transfer mediators such as Ru(bpy)(2)(bpz)(2+) (bpz is 2,2'-bipyrazine) in solution or Ru(4,4'-((HO)(2)P(O)CH(2))(2)bpy)(2)(bpy)(2+) on ITO (ITO/Sn) or FTO (SnO(2)/F) electrodes. In this Account, we describe a general reactivity toward water oxidation in a class of molecules whose properties can be "tuned" systematically by synthetic variations based on mechanistic insight. These molecules catalyze water oxidation driven either electrochemically or by Ce(IV). The first two were in the series Ru(tpy)(bpm)(OH(2))(2+) and Ru(tpy)(bpz)(OH(2))(2+) (bpm is 2,2'- bipyrimidine; tpy is 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine), which undergo hundreds of turnovers without decomposition with Ce(IV) as oxidant. Detailed mechanistic studies and DFT calculations have revealed a stepwise mechanism: initial 2e(-)/2H(+) oxidation, to Ru(IV)=O(2+), 1e(-) oxidation to Ru(V)=(3+), nucleophilic H(2)O attack to give Ru(III)-OOH(2+), further oxidation to Ru(IV)(O(2))(2+), and, finally, oxygen loss, which is in competition with further oxidation of Ru(IV)(O(2))(2+) to Ru(V)(O(2))(3+), which loses O(2) rapidly. An extended family of 10-15 catalysts based on Mebimpy (Mebimpy is 2,6-bis(1-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine), tpy, and heterocyclic carbene ligands all appear to share a common mechanism. The osmium complex Os(tpy)(bpy)(OH(2))(2+) also functions as a water oxidation catalyst. Mechanistic experiments have revealed additional pathways for water oxidation one involving Cl(-) catalysis and another, rate enhancement of O-O bond formation by concerted atom-proton transfer (APT). Surface-bound [(4,4'-((HO)(2)P(O)CH(2))(2)bpy)(2)Ru(II)(bpm)Ru(II)(Mebimpy)(OH(2))](4+) and its tpy analog are impressive electrocatalysts for water oxidation, undergoing thousands of turnovers without loss of catalytic activity. These catalysts were designed for use in dye-sensitized solar cell configurations on TiO(2) to provide oxidative equivalents by molecular excitation and excited-state electron injection. Transient absorption measurements on TiO(2)-[(4,4'((HO)(2)P(O)CH(2))(2)bpy)(2)Ru(II)(bpm)Ru(II)(Mebimpy)(OH(2))](4+), (TiO(2)-Ru(II)-Ru(II)OH(2)) and its tpy analog have provided direct insight into the interfacial and intramolecular electron transfer events that occur following excitation. With added hydroquinone in a PEC configuration, APCE (absorbed-photon-to-current-efficiency) values of 4-5% are obtained for dehydrogenation of hydroquinone, H(2)Q + 2hnu --> Q + H(2). In more recent experiments, we are using the same PEC configuration to investigate water splitting.