Aqueous light driven hydrogen production by a Ru-ferredoxin-Co biohybrid.

Herein we report the creation of a novel solar fuel biohybrid for light-driven H2 production utilizing the native electron transfer protein ferredoxin (Fd) as a scaffold for binding of a ruthenium photosensitizer (PS) and a molecular cobaloxime catalyst (Co). EPR and transient optical experiments provide direct evidence of a long-lived (>1.5 ms) Ru(III)-Fd-Co(I) charge separated state formed via an electron relay through the Fd [2Fe-2S] cluster, initiating the catalytic cycle for 2H(+) + 2e(-) → H2.