Description (PDF file)
In the search for new non-innocent ligands that can act as electron reservoirs for multielectron reductions, such as H₂ evolution (HER) or CO₂ reduction (CO₂RR), heptazine derivatives—key building blocks of graphitic carbon nitrides—offer numerous advantages. They are capable of (i) storing charges within their π-conjugated system at potentials suitable for HER or CO₂RR, (ii) stabilizing low oxidation states of metals, and (iii) offering significant versatility through the selective functionalization of their three substitutable positions, thereby allowing the electronic properties of the catalyst to be tuned.
Paradoxically, the chemistry of heptazines remains poorly documented in the literature, mainly due to the difficulty of controlling the reactivity of these derivatives. The CAMPE laboratory has developed expertise in the chemistry of these compounds and has established original methods for their functionalization. The aim of this project is therefore to develop heptazine-based ligands and coordinate them to transition metals in order to investigate their electrocatalytic properties, particularly for HER.