LESSONS FROM NATURAL BORN CATALYSTS: TUNING FUNCTIONS AT NANO-HYBRID INTERFACES

Marcella Bonchio
National Council of Research (ITM-CNR), Institute of Membrane Technology, Padova
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova
In Nature, oxidation catalysis is essential for aerobic life. Nature has evolved some perfect machineries to generate, store and translocate redox equivalents, powering some vital processes, such as the photosynthetic cycle of the chloroplast and its alter-ego found in the mitochondrial respiration chain. The artificial “off-leaf” transposition of Photosynthesis, is one major goal of energy research, aiming at the continuous production of hydrogen as solar fuel, through the photo-catalytic splitting of H2O.[1] Success in this task primarily depends on the interplay of light-activated multi-electron oxidation and reduction routines and on the invention of stable and robust water oxidation catalysts, liberating oxygen with fast rates, high quantum yield, and long-term activity.We will highlight a recently discovered pathway carved within the class of inorganic molecular metal-oxides displaying a unique mimicry of the PSII enzyme.[2] Furthermore, the shaping of their functions at the interface of specifically tailored carbon nano-structures and/or polymeric scaffolds opens a vast scenario for tuning electron/proton transfer mechanisms in term of rates, distance, geometries and communication between donor/acceptor centers.[3]
[1] A. Sartorel, M. Carraro, F. M. Toma, M. Prato, M. Bonchio Energy Environ. Sci. 2012, 5, 5592 – 5603. (b) F. Puntoriero, A. Sartorel, M. Orlandi, G. La Ganga, S. Serroni, M. Bonchio, F. Scandola, S. Campagna,Coord. Chem Rev. 2011, 255, 2594-2601.
[2] (a) A. Sartorel, P. Miro´, E. Salvadori, S. Romain, M. Carraro, G. Scorrano, M. Di Valentin, A. Llobet, C. Bo, M. Bonchio J. Am.Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 16051–16053; (b) A. Sartorel, M. Carraro, R. De Zorzi, S. Geremia, N.D. McDaniel, S. Bernhard, G. Scorrano, M. Bonchio J. Am.Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 5006-5007.
[3](a) M. Prato, M. Bonchio et al. Nature Chem.,2, 2010, 826–831. (b) A. Sartorel, M. Truccolo, S. Berardi, M. Gardan, M. Carraro, F. M. Toma, G. Scorrano, M. Prato, M. Bonchio, Chem Commun 2011, 47, 1716-1718.








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