A polystyrene-based
chromophore-catalyst assembly (poly-<b>2</b>) has been synthesized
and assembled at a mesoporous metal oxide photoanode. The assembly
contains water oxidation catalyst centers based on [Ru(trpy) (phenq)]<sup>2+</sup> (Ru-Cat) and [Ru(bpy)<sub>3</sub>]<sup>2+</sup> derivatives
(Ru-C) as chromophores (trpy= 2,2′;6,2″- terpyridine,
phenq = 2-(quinol-8′-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline and bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine).
The photophysical and electrochemical properties of the polychromophore-oxidation
catalyst assembly were investigated in solution and at the surface
of mesoporous metal oxide films. The layer-by-layer (LbL) method was
utilized to construct multilayer films with cationic poly-<b>2</b> and anionic poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) for light-driven photochemical
oxidations. Photocurrent measurements of (PAA/poly-<b>2</b>)<sub>10</sub> LbL films on mesoporous TiO<sub>2</sub> demonstrate light-driven
oxidation of phenol and benzyl alcohol in aqueous solution. Interestingly,
illumination of (PAA/poly-<b>2</b>)<sub>5</sub> LbL films on
a fluorine doped SnO<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub> core/shell photoanode
in aqueous solution gives rise to an initial photocurrent (∼18.5
μA·cm<sup>–2</sup>) that is in part ascribed to
light driven water oxidation