Water-Soluble Polymer-Bound Biomimetic Analogues of Cytochrome c Oxidase Catalyze 4e^- Reduction of O₂ to Water

Activity toward catalytic O₂ reduction by polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyvinylpyridine (PVP) polymers containing functional analogues of the O₂-reducing site of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) has been studied in solution and on the electrode surface. Pronounced effects of the porphyrin microenvironment on the selectivity and turnover frequency of the catalysts were observed.