Functionalized membranes for photocatalytic hydrogen production.

Functionalized vesicles for photocatalytic hydrogen production in water have been prepared by co-embedding of amphiphilic photosensitizers and a hydrogen-evolving catalyst in phospholipid membranes. The self-assembly allows a simple two-dimensional arrangement of the multicomponent system with close spatial proximity, which gave turnover numbers up to 165 for the incorporated amphiphilic cobaloxime water reduction catalyst 3 b under optimized conditions in purely aqueous solution. Superior photocatalytic activity in fluid membranes indicates that mobility and dynamic reorganization of catalytic subunits in the membrane promote the visible-light-driven hydrogen production. The functionalized membranes represent nanostructured assemblies for hydrogen production in aqueous solution mimicking natural photosynthesis.