Why The Perfectly Symmetric Cobalt-Pentapyridyl Loses the H2 Production Challenge: Theoretical Insight into Reaction Mechanism and Reduction Free Energies

Abstract

Researchers have extensively investigated photo-catalytic water reduction utilizing Cobalt-based catalysts with poly-pyridyl ligands. While catalysts exhibiting distorted poly-pyridyl ligand demonstrate higher H2 production yields, those with ideal octahedral coordination display poor performance. This outcome suggests the crucial role of ligand framework in catalytic activity, yet reasons behind the disparity in H2 production rates for catalysts with octahedral geometries remain unclear. We theoretically examined the water reduction mechanism of Co-based poly-pyridyl catalyst, CoPy5, having perfect octahedral coordination. We clarified the effect of octahedral coordination by utilizing each intermediate step of ECEC mechanism. We determined spin states, solvent response, electronic structures, and reduction free energies. CoPy5 with perfect octahedral coordination, alongside its distorted counterparts, exhibit similar spin states as the reaction progresses through each intermediate step. However, the first reduction free energy obtained for the CoPy5 is slightly higher than that of its distorted counterparts. Following the second protonation, resulting H2 molecule experiences limited diffusion from the Co center due to the compact structure of the CoPy5, which blocks the Co center for the next H2 production cycle. Catalysts having distorted octahedral geometries facilitate fast removal of H2 into the solvent. Thus, the reaction center becomes immediately available for subsequent H2 production.

Computational Details

AIMD simulations have been performed for modeling intermediate states of the ECEC mechanisms of H2 production through water splitting. Open source CP2K simulation package have been used in all simulations. PBE density functional in general gradient approximation (GGA) formalism was employed for the AIMD simulations. Goedecker-Teter-Hutter (GTH) potentials were applied for the estimation of core electron interactions with the valence shell and nucleus. Valence electrons were modeled explicitly and valence shells of Co, N, C, O and H contain 17, 5, 4, 6 and 1 electrons, respectively. DZVP-MOLOPT basis set was used for all atomic kinds. For auxiliary plane wave basis set, a cutoff of 400 Ry was utilized. Dispersion interactions were taken into consideration by applying Vydrov and Van Voorhis vdW density functional, in the revised form (rVV10). Periodic boundary
conditions and spin polarization were always applied. For the CoPy5 complex, AIMD simulations were carried out in a box defined as cubic with explicit water environment. The CoPy5 catalyst was first solvated in 215 water molecules and the simulation volume was relaxed by performing AIMD simulations for approximately 20 ps in the isothermal-isobaric ensemble (NPT). Cubic simulation box volume was determined as 6163.28  ̊A3. Following the determination of the simulation box size, each intermediate step were modeled by applying AIMD simulations in the canonical ensemble (NVT) for approximately 20 ps. Time step was set to 0.5 fs. Canonical sampling through velocity rescaling (CSVR) thermostat with a time constant of 100 fs was applied in order to keep
the simulation temperature at 300 K.

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