Light-driven hydrogen production with CdSe quantum dots and a cobalt glutathione catalyst.

ABSTRACT

A photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) production system is reported using glutathione (GSH)-capped CdSe QDs with a cobalt precatalyst, yielding 130 000 mol H2 per mol cobalt over 48 hours. Analysis of the reaction mixtures after catalysis indicates that the active catalyst is a labile complex of cobalt and GSH formed in situ.