Our PhD student Alessia Cinci has published a new scientific paper in collaboration with the research group of Prof. Wolfgang Weigand (University of Jena, Germany), following a research stay carried out within the group between May and June 2025. During the exchange period in Jena, the synthesis and structural characterization of a new organic proligand (ferrocenyl bithiophene-2,2′-yl thioketone) and of two new dinuclear iron complexes, obtained by reacting the proligand with Fe3(CO)12, were carried out.
Furthermore, their electrochemical behavior toward proton reduction and hydrogen evolution was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, allowing a direct comparison with structurally related analogues. While the first complex exhibited efficient proton-reduction activity leading to hydrogen evolution, the second showed no such catalytic response. This result indicates that even small variations in electronic structure or coordination environment can significantly affect catalytic efficiency, despite the overall similarity of the molecular frameworks.
The work is available at the following link: https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics14010014
