ARTIFICIAL PHOTOSYNTHESIS - TOWARDS FUNCTIONAL MIMICS OF PHOTOSYSTEM-II

This paper describes the initial development of a project aiming at th e construction of functional mimics of the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II, coupled to photoinduced charge separation. Biomimetic electron donors, manganese complexes and tyrosine, have been linked to a Ru(II)-polypyridine photosensitiser. Oxidation of the donors by int ramolecular electron transfer from the photo-oxidised Ru(III) complex was demonstrated using optical flash photolysis and EPR experiments. A step-wise electron transfer Mn-->tyrosine-->Ru(III) was demonstrated. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.