Homogeneous photocatalytic hydrogen production using π-conjugated platinum(II) arylacetylide sensitizers.

Three platinum(II) terpyridylacetylide charge-transfer complexes possessing a lone ancillary ligand systematically varied in phenylacetylide π-conjugation length, [Pt((t)Bu(3)tpy)([C≡CC(6)H(4)](n)H)]ClO(4) (n = 1-3), are evaluated as photosensitizers (PSs) for visible-light-driven (λ > 420 nm) hydrogen production in the presence of a cobaloxime catalyst and the sacrificial electron donor triethanolamine (TEOA). Excited-state reductive quenching of the PS by TEOA produces PS(-) (k(q) scales with the driving force as 1 > 2 > 3), enabling thermal electron transfer to the cobalt catalyst. The initial H(2) evolution is directly proportional to the incident photon flux and visible-light harvesting capacity of the sensitizer, 3 > 2 > 1.