The water-soluble tin(IV) tetrakis(2-N-hydroxyethyl-4-pyridinium)porphyrin 1 photocatalyst was synthesized in good yield and its structure determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Electrochemical measurements on tin(IV) porphyrin 1 reveal a range of complex redox processes that are highly dependent on the pH and electrode used. The cathodic processes at ca. -0.6 to -0.8 V were assigned to electrochemical processes on the pyridyl moiety following differential pulse voltammetry and spectroelectrochemical investigation into the electrochemical properties of tin(IV) porphyrin. Photocatalytic experiment on tin(IV) porphyrin 1 under anaerobic conditions using triethanolamine (TEAO) as a sacrifical donor reveal a phlorin species as the main product which rapidly disappears upon exposure to oxygen. These results suggest that tin(IV) porphyrin π-radical anion is perhaps not the species responsible for the apparent ability tin(IV) porphyrins to photocatalytically reduce various substrates, including water to hydrogen.
A novel tetra-alkyne terminated tin(IV) porphyrin 3 was synthesized in good yields and characterized using NMR spectroscopy, high resolution mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography, the latter revealing interactions with hexane molecules that stabilize the crystal structure of the tin(IV) porphyrin 3. It was then linked to a conductive fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) surfaces using Huisgen [3+2] click chemistry. The attachment of the tin(IV) porphyrin to the FTO surface 6 was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), indicating the presence of the 1,2,3-triazole unit. Electrochemical measurements of the tin(IV) porphyrin modified FTO surface 7 show that it is still electrochemically active with oxidation (Epa) and reduction peaks (Epc) for the ferricyanide redox couple observed at Epc and Epa of -0.144 and +0.568 V vs. Ag | AgCl respectively, representing a modest shift of ca . +/- 0.1–0.15 V, compared to unmodified FTO.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.