Bioinspired Molecular Electrocatalysts for H2 Production: Chemical Strategies

The environmentally friendly production of H-2 is one of the major challenges that society has to face in the next decades, as H-2 is considered as a promising energy carrier. By taking inspiration from nature, and especially from the two enzymes [NiFe] and [FeFe] hydrogenases, capable of producing H-2 catalytically with high rate, efforts have been focused on mimicking the structural and/or functional properties of their active site, i.e., organometallic NiFe and FeFe complexes, respectively. This perspective gives an update on families of bioinspired FeFe and NiFe (electro)catalysts with the aim of emphasing the features that seem to be critical for optimal perfomances: the presence of a (i) nearby electron reservoir or (ii) potential proton relay or (iii) hydride species with specific structural and electronic properties.