Photo-assisted electrochemical oxidation of isopropanol to acetone on a chemically modified electrode

Abstract

The photocatalytic oxidation of isopropanol, as sensitized by photoexcited quinone derivatives which are chemically bound on a carbon electrode, has been observed. The quantum efficiency for the photosensitized reaction of bound quinones to that of quinone in solution is compared. From the observation of photocurrents, when bound quinones on glassy carbon are photolyzed, it is concluded that some of the excited molecules of the chemically bound quinones react with isopropanol and are not quenched during the lifetime of the excited state at the carbon electrode surface.