Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production using Polymeric Carbon Nitride with a Hydrogenase and a Bioinspired Synthetic Ni Catalyst

Abstract

Solar‐light‐driven H 2 production in water with a [NiFeSe]‐hydrogenase (H 2 ase) and a bioinspired synthetic nickel catalyst (NiP) in combination with a heptazine carbon nitride polymer, melon (CN x ), is reported. The semibiological and purely synthetic systems show catalytic activity during solar light irradiation with turnover numbers (TONs) of more than 50 000 mol H 2 (mol H 2 ase) −1 and approximately 155 mol H 2 (mol NiP) −1 in redox‐mediator‐free aqueous solution at pH 6 and 4.5, respectively. Both systems maintained a reduced photoactivity under UV‐free solar light irradiation (λ>420 nm).