Towards artificial photosynthesis: Ruthenium-manganese chemistry mimicking photosystem II reactions

The reaction center Photosystem II is a key component of the most successful solar energy converting machinery on earth: the oxygenic photosynthesis. Photosystem II uses light to drive the reduction of plastoquinone and the oxidation of water. Water-oxidation is catalyzed by a manganese cluster and gives the organism an abundant source of electrons. The principles of photosynthesis have inspired chemists to mimic these reactions in artificial molecular assemblies. Synthetic light-harvesting antennae and light-induced charge separation systems have been demonstrated by several groups. More recently, there has been an increasing effort to mimic Photosystem II by coupling light-driven charge separation to water oxidation, catalyzed by synthetic manganese complexes.