Two mononuclear ruthenium complexes [RuL(pic)(3)] (1) and [RuL(bpy)(pic)] (2) (H2L = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid, pic=4-picoline, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) have been synthesized and fully characterized. Both complexes could promote water oxidation chemically and photochemically. Compared with other known ruthenium-based water oxidation catalysts using [Ce(NH4)(2)(NO3)(6)] (Ce-IV) as the oxidant in solution at pH 1.0, complex 1 is one of the most active catalysts yet reported with an initial rate of 0.23 turnovers(-1). Under acidic conditions, the equatorial 4-picoline in complex 1 dissociates first. In addition, ligand exchange in 1 occurs when the Rum state is reached. Based on the above observations and MS measurements of the intermediates during water oxidation by 1 using Ce-IV as oxidant, [RuL(pic)(2)(H2O)](+) is proposed as the real water oxidation catalyst.

Two series of mononuclear ruthenium complexes [Ru(pdc)L-3] (H(2)pdc = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid; L = 4-methoxypyridine, 1; pyridine, 2; pyrazine, 3) and [Ru(pdc)L-2(dmso)] (dmso = dimethyl sulfoxide; L = 4-methoxypyridine, 4; pyridine, 5) were synthesized and spectroscopically characterized. Their catalytic activity toward water oxidation has been examined using Ce-IV (Ce(NH4)(2)(NO3)(6)) as the chemical oxidant under acidic conditions. Complexes 1, 2 and 3 are capable of catalyzing Ce-IV-driven water oxidation while 4 and 5 are not active. Electronic effects on their catalytic activity were illustrated: electron donating groups increase the catalytic activity.

A series of mononuclear ruthenium polypyridyl complexes [Ru(Mebimpy)(pic)(3)](PF6)(2) (2; Mebimpy=2,6-bis(1-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine; pic=4-picoline), Ru(bimpy)(pic)(3) (3; H(2)bimpy=2,6-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine), trans-[Ru(terpy)-(pic)(2)Cl](PF6) (4; terpy=2,2';6',2 ''-terpyridine), and trans-[Ru(terpy)(pic)(2)(OH2)](ClO4)(2) (5) are synthesized and characterized as analogues of the known Ru complex, [Ru(terpy)(pic)(3)](PF6)(2) (1). The effect of the ligands on electronic and catalytic properties is studied and discussed. The negatively charged ligand, bimpy(2-), has a remarkable influence on the electrochemical events due to its strong electron-donating ability. The performance in light- and Ce-IV-driven (Ce-IV=Ce(NH4)(2)(NO3)(6)) water oxidation is successfully demonstrated. We propose that ligand exchange between pic and H2O occurs to form the real catalyst, a Ru-aqua complex. The synthesis and testing of trans[Ru(terpy)(pic)(2)(OH2)](ClO4)(2) (5) confirmed our proposal. In addition, complex 5 possesses the best catalytic activity among these five complexes.

With the inspiration from an oxygen evolving complex (OEC) in Photosystern II (PSII), a mononuclear Ru(II) complex with a tetradentate ligand containing two carboxylate groups has been synthesized and structurally characterized. This Ru(II) complex showed efficient catalytic properties toward water oxidation by the chemical oxidant cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate. During the process of catalytic water oxidation, Ru(III) and Ru(IV) species have been successfully isolated as intermediates. To our surprise, X-ray crystallography together with HR-MS revealed that the Ru(IV) species is a seven-coordinate Ru(IV) dimer complex containing a [HOHOH](-) bridging ligand. This bridging ligand has a short O center dot center dot center dot O distance and is hydrogen bonded to two water molecules. The discovery of this very uncommon seven-coordinate Ru(IV) dimer together with a hydrogen bonding network may contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanism for catalytic water oxidation. It will also provide new possibilities for the design of more efficient catalysts for water oxidation, which is the key step for solar energy conversion into hydrogen by tight-driven water splitting, the ultimate challenge in artificial photosynthesis.

Discovery of an efficient catalyst bearing low overpotential toward water oxidation is a key step for light-driven water splitting into dioxygen and dihydrogen. A mononuclear ruthenium complex, Ru(II)L(pic)(2) (1) (H2L = 2,2'-bipyridine-6,6'-dicarboxylic acids pic = 4-picoline), was found capable of oxidizing water eletrochemically at a relatively low potential and promoting light-driven water oxidation using a three-component system composed of a photosensitizer, sacrificial electron acceptor, and complex 1. The detailed electrochemical properties of 1 were studied, and the onset potentials of the electrochemically catalytic curves in pH 7.0 and pH 1.0 solutions are 1.0 and 1.5 V, respectively. The low catalytic potential of 1 under neutral conditions allows the use of [Ru(bpy)(3)](2+) and even [Ru(dmbpy)(3)](2+) as a photosensitizer for photochemical water oxidation. Two different sacrificial electron acceptors, [Co(NH3)(5)Cl]Cl-2 and Na2S2O8, were used to generate the oxidized state of ruthenium tris(2,2'-bipyridyl) photosensitizers. In addition, a two-hour photolysis of I in a pH TO phosphate buffer did not lead to obvious degradation, indicating the good photostability of our catalyst. However, under conditions of light-driven water oxidation, the catalyst deactivates quickly. In both solution and the solid state under aerobic conditions, complex 1 gradually decomposed via oxidative degradation of its ligands, and two of the decomposed products, sp(3) C-H bond oxidized Ru complexes, were identified. The capability of oxidizing the sp(3) C-H bond implies the presence of a highly oxidizing Ru species, which might also cause the final degradation of the catalyst.

Visible light-driven water oxidation has been achieved by the dinuclear ruthenium complex 1 with a high turnover number of 1270 in a homogeneous system in the presence of a Ru polypyridine complex photosensitizer.