Proton reduction by a bimetallic zinc selenolate electrocatalyst.

The development of alternative energy sources is the utmost priority of developing society. Unlike many prior homogeneous electrocatalysts that rely on a change in the oxidation state of the metal center and/or electrochemically active ligand, here we report the synthesis and structural characterization of a bimetallic zinc selenolate complex consisting of a redox silent zinc metal ion and a tridentate ligand that catalyzes the reduction of protons into hydrogen gas electrochemically and displays one of the highest reported TOF for a homogeneous TM-metal free ligand centered HER catalyst, 509 s-1. The current-voltage analysis confirms the onset overpotential of 0.86 V vs. Ag/AgCl for the HER process. Constant potential electrolysis (CPE) has been carried out to study the bulk electrolysis of our developed protocol, which reveals that the bimetallic zinc selenolate catalyst is stable under cathodic as well as anodic potentials and generates hydrogen gas with a faradaic efficiency of 75%. Preliminary studies on the heterogeneous catalyst were conducted by depositing the bimetallic zinc selenolate catalyst on the electrode surface.

Synthesis and structural characterization of monomeric mercury(II) selenolate complexes derived from 2-phenylbenzamide ligands.

Monomeric Hg(II) selenolate complexes derived from 2-phenylbenzamide ligands were prepared by oxidative addition of diselenides [{C6H4(CONR2)Se}2, R = Me, Et, iPr] to elemental Hg and reductive cleavage of the Se­N bond of isoselenazolone derivatives [(NO2)C6H3(CONSe)R, (R = allyl, nbutyl)] followed by the treatment with HgCl2. The complexes have been characterized by multinuclear NMR (1H, 13C and 77Se) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry which suggest the monomeric form of these in solution. The molecular structures of diselenides [C6H4(CONR2)Se]2 and mercury selenolates [Hg{(NO2)C6H3(CONH-C3H5) Se}2], [Hg{C6H4(CONiPr2)Se}2] and [Hg{C6H4(CONMe2)Se}2] were established by a single crystal X-ray diffraction study. Diselenides show strong intramolecular non-bonded Se⋯O interactions, which are influenced by the nature of C(O)NR̲2 and decrease with the sterically bulky alkyl substituent (Se⋯O =2.823 Å for R = di-Me, 2.760 Å for R = allyl, and 3.157 Å for R = di-iPr). Mercury complexes derived from less bulky 2-phenyl-N,N-dialkylbenzamide ligands associated with poor or no intramolecular nonbonded Hg⋯O interactions (4.91 Å for R = di-Me, 4.199 Å for R = allyl) and instead strong intermolecular Hg⋯O [2.792(3) and 2.820(4) Å] for di-Me and allyl and Hg⋯Se [3.3212(5) and 3.4076(8) Å] interactions were observed which lead to a dimeric form in the crystals. On the other hand, the mercury complex derived from the sterically bulky diisopropyl amide ligand shows a strong intramolecular non-bonded Hg⋯O (2.860 Å) interaction, adopts linear geometry and exists as a monomer. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the mercury selenolate complexes revealed two-step decomposition which leads to the formation of HgSe. The mercury selenolate complex 3c derived from the sterically bulky 2-phenyl-N,Ndiisopropylbenzamide ligand decomposed to give HgSe in the range of 220-300 °C.

Synthesis, characterization and structures of 2-(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)ethylseleno derivatives and their probable glutathione peroxidase (GPx) like activity.

A series of 2-(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)ethylseleno derivatives has been synthesized. The glutathione peroxidase like catalytic activity of these compounds has been studied in a model system, in which reduction of hydrogen peroxide with dithiothreitol (DTT(red)), in the presence of an organoselenium compound was investigated by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. All these compounds exhibit GPx like catalytic activities and the catalytic reaction proceeds through a selenoxide intermediate, identified by (77)Se{(1)H} NMR spectroscopy.