The electronic effect on the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction of silicon(iv) corrole complexes

Abstract

Four silicon triaryl corrole complexes (F₀C-Si, F₅C-Si, F₁₀C-Si, and F₁₅C-Si) bearing different numbers of pentafluorophenyl substituents have been prepared and evaluated as electrocatalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). All prepared four silicon catalysts exhibited significant electrocatalytic HER activity in both organic phases and neutral aqueous systems. The F₁₅C-Si complex exhibited a TOF_max of 752.65 s⁻¹ when using TsOH as the proton source. The HER activity of these silicon corroles increases with the increasing number of peripheral pentafluorophenyl groups, suggesting that the attached electron-withdrawing groups may enhance their HER activity.