Simultaneous two-electron transfer from photoirradiated semiconductor to molecular catalyst

Abstract

Better understanding the multi-electron transfer processes in photocatalytic water splitting and CO2 reduction is crucial for the development of the efficient artificial photosynthesis systems for production of solar fuels. Here, the multi-electron transfer from TiO2 to cobaloxime (a molecular catalyst) in cobaloxime/TiO2 hybrid systems has been studied in detail in the presence of methanol. The results of the thermodynamic study revealed that simultaneous two-electron transfer from TiO2 to cobaloxime is the most plausible account for the interpretation of the observed photocatalytic activities. And the accumulation of photogenerated electrons in TiO2 is an essential prerequisite for simultaneous two-electron transfer from semiconductor to the molecular catalyst based on the analysis of charge transfer processes.