A Silicon‐Heteroaromatic System as Photosensitizer for Light‐Driven Hydrogen Production by Hydrogenase Mimics

Abstract

Abstract The utilization of light and inexpensive catalysts to afford hydrogen represents a huge challenge. Following our interest in silicon‐containing [FeFe]‐hydrogenase ([FeFe]‐H 2 ase) mimics, we report a new model approach for a photocatalytic [FeFe]‐H 2 ase mimic 1 , which contains a 1‐silafluorene unit as a photosensitizer. Thereby, the photoactive ligand is linked to the [2Fe2S] cluster through S–CH 2 –Si bridges. Photochemical H 2 evolution experiments were performed and revealed a turnover number (TON) of 29. This is the highest reported photocatalytic efficiency for an [FeFe]‐H 2 ase model complex in which the photosensitizer is covalently linked to the catalytic center.