Energy Transfer in a Hybrid IrIII Carbene–PtII Acetylide Assembly for Efficient Hydrogen Production

A new heterometallic supramolecular complex, consisting of an iridium carbene-based unit appended to a platinum terpyridine acetylide unit, representing a new IrIII–PtII structural motif, was designed and developed to act as an active species for photocatalytic hydrogen production. The results also suggested that a light-harvesting process is essential to realize the solar-to-fuel conversion in an artificial system as illustrated in the natural photosynthetic system.