Visible-light responsive hydrogen production from formate with a photoredox system using enzymes and colloidal platinum nanoparticles†

Formic acid and formate are among the most promising candidates for hydrogen energy carriers that can be produced from carbon dioxide. As previously reported, H₂ production based on catalytic formate decomposition involves two major issues: the use of strong acidic formate with relatively low pH and reaction control after catalyst addition. To address these two issues, visible-light controlled H₂ production from formate with the combination system of a biocatalytic process with formate dehydrogenase from Candida boidinii (CbFDH) and a photoredox reaction of water-soluble zinc porphyrin, methylviologen and colloidal platinum nanoparticles dispersed in polyvinylpyrrolidone (Pt-PVP) was developed. By using this system, the yield for formate to H₂ was estimated to be ca. 92% after 25 h irradiation.