An
efficient photocatalytic two-electron reduction and protonation
of nicotine amide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), as well
as the synthetic nucleotide co-factor analogue N-benzyl-3-carbamoyl-pyridinium
(BNAD+), powered by photons in the long-wavelength region
of visible light (λirr > 610 nm), is demonstrated
for the first time. This functional artificial photosynthetic counterpart
of the complete energy-trapping and solar-to-fuel conversion primary
processes occurring in natural photosystem I (PS I) is achieved with
a robust water-soluble tin(IV) complex of meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium)-chlorin acting as the light-harvesting
sensitizer (threshold wavelength of λthr = 660 nm).
In buffered aqueous solution, this chlorophyll-like compound photocatalytically
recycles a rhodium hydride complex of the type [Cp*Rh(bpy)H]+, which is able to mediate regioselective hydride transfer processes.
Different one- and two-electron donors are tested for the reductive
quenching of the irradiated tin complex to initiate the secondary
dark reactions leading to nucleotide co-factor reduction. Very promising
conversion efficiencies, quantum yields, and excellent photosensitizer
stabilities are observed. As an example of a catalytic dark reaction
utilizing the reduction equivalents of accumulated NADH, an enzymatic
process for the selective transformation of aldehydes with alcohol
dehydrogenase (ADH) coupled to the primary photoreactions of the system
is also demonstrated. A tentative reaction mechanism for the transfer
of two electrons and one proton from the reductively quenched tin
chlorin sensitizer to the rhodium co-catalyst, acting as a reversible
hydride carrier, is proposed.