We found that a complex containing five iron atoms serve as a highly efficient and robust water oxidation catalyst owing to the presence of redox flexibility, which enables smooth charge accumulation and electron transfer, and the presence of adjacent active sites that enables rapid intramolecular O–O bond formation.
Researcher Information
JST ACT-C (Advanced Catalytic Transformation Program for Carbon Utilization)
Research Area “Creation of Advanced Catalytic Transformation for the Sustainable Manufacturing at Low Energy, Low Environmental Load”
Research Theme “Development of supramolecular catalyst toward CO2 reduction system using H2O as electron source”
JST PRESTO
Research Area “Chemical Conversion of Light Energy”
Research Theme “Development of highly-active oxygen evolving catalysts toward visible-light-induced water splitting”
MEXT/JSPS Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas
Research Area “All Nippon Artificial Photosynthesis Project for Living Earth (AnApple)”
Research Theme “Structural control of a pentairon catalyst for low-overpotential water oxidation”
Journal Information
Masaya Okamura, Mio Kondo, Reiko Kuga, Yuki Kurashige, Takeshi Yanai, Shinya Hayami, Vijayendran K. K. Praneeth, Masaki Yoshida, Ko Yoneda, Satoshi Kawata and Shigeyuki Masaoka. “A pentanuclear iron catalyst designed for water oxidation”. Nature, 2016, Advance Online Publication (AOP), doi: 10.1038/nature16529.
Contact
[About Research]
Shigeyuki Masaoka Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Life and Coordination-Complex Molecular Science, Institute for Molecular Science
E-mail: 
URL: http://groups.ims.ac.jp/organization/masaoka_g/
Mio Kondo Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Life and Coordination-Complex Molecular Science, Institute for Molecular Science
E-mail: 
URL: http://groups.ims.ac.jp/organization/masaoka_g/
[About Program]
Hisao Mizuta
Department of Research Project, JST
E-mail: 