Catalytic oxidation of water mediated by rhenium oxides
Abstract
Rhenium oxides (Re2O3, ReO2, and ReO2–TiO2) show efficient catalytic activity in reaction (i) 4D++ 2 H2O → 4D + 4H++ O2(i), where D+= Ce4+ or [Ru(bipy)3]3+(bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine). The pseudo-first-order rate constant, k0, for this reaction, when D = Ce4+, ranges from 0.4 to 0.09 min–1 for different [Ce4+] : catalyst weight ratios, at 25 °C in 1 N H2SO4. These rates are higher than the reported rates for reaction (i) when RuO2 powder is used as a catalyst.