An Alternative Reaction Pathway for Iridium-Catalyzed Water Oxidation Driven by Cerium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN)

The generation of
solar fuels by means of a photosynthetic apparatus
strongly relies on the development of an efficient water oxidation
catalyst (WOC). Cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) is the most commonly
used sacrificial oxidant to explore the potentiality of WOCs. It is
usually assumed that CAN has the unique role to oxidatively energize
WOCs, making them capable to offer a low-energy reaction pathway to
transform H2O to O2. Herein, we show that CAN
might have a much more relevant and direct role in WO, mainly related
to the capture and liberation of O–O-containing molecular moieties.