One‐Pot Highly Efficient Synthesis of N‐Enrich Graphene Quantum Dots as a Photocatalytic Platform for NAD+/NADP+ Reduction

Abstract

AbstractAn efficient photocatalytic regeneration of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) has been carried out by two‐electron reduction and protonation of NAD+/NADP+, induced by photons in the visible light region. This functional artificial photosynthetic counterpart of the complete energy‐trapping occurring in natural photosystem I (PS I) is achieved with nitrogen‐enrich graphene quantum dot (N‐EGQD) as the light‐harvesting photocatalyst. In buffer aqueous solution, this compound photo catalytically recycles a rhodium hydride complex of the type [Cp*Rh(bpy)H]+ (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, bpy = 2,2′‐bipyridine) which can mediate hydride transfer processes leading to nucleotide co‐factor reduction. Very promising yields of 73.31%/78.45% of NADH/NADPH with the excellent thermal stability of N‐EGQD photocatalyst is observed. Thus, in this work, an efficient light‐harvesting photocatalyst is synthesized for the regeneration of nicotinamide cofactor that has pharmaceuticals application.