RuO2 Nanostructure as an Efficient and Versatile Catalyst for H2 Photosynthesis

Photocatalytic H-2 generation holds promisein the greenproduction of alternative fuels and valuable chemicals. Seeking alternative,cost-effective, stable, and possibly reusable catalysts representsa timeless challenge for scientists working in the field. Herein,commercial RuO2 nanostructures were found to be a robust,versatile, and competitive catalyst in H-2 photoproductionin several conditions. We employed it in a classic three-componentsystem and compared its activities with those of the widely used platinumnanoparticle catalyst. We observed a hydrogen evolution rate of 0.137mol h(-1) g(-1) and an apparent quantumefficiency (AQE) of 6.8% in water using EDTA as an electron donor.Moreover, the favorable employment of l-cysteine as the electronsource opens possibilities precluded to other noble metal catalyst.The versatility of the system has also been demonstrated in organicmedia with impressive H-2 production in acetonitrile. Therobustness has been proved by the recovery of the catalyst by centrifugationand reusage alternatively in different media.