A BIOMIMETIC APPROACH TO IMPROVE ELECTRON TRANSFER IN THE OXIDATION HALF CELL OF A PHOTOLYTIC WATER-SPLITTING SYSTEM
Open Access
Author:
Lentz, Deanna Renee
Area of Honors:
Chemistry
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Thomas E Mallouk, Thesis Supervisor Thomas E Mallouk, Thesis Supervisor Pshemak Maslak, Thesis Honors Advisor Benjamin James Lear, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
water splitting dye sensitzer
Abstract:
Photolytic water-splitting has been called a “holy grail” of chemistry due to the opportunities it presents as a route to clean hydrogen fuel. Currently, a major challenge to achieving adequate efficiency is electron transfer within the oxidative half-cell. A synthetic route to a novel bipyridyl dye modeled on the tyrosine residue mediator in Photosystem II was designed. Progress towards this synthesis was achieved, with the synthesis of the fourth intermediate, 4,4’-diamino-5,5’-dinitro-2,2’-bipyridine in an overall yield of 3.5%.
