Visible-light-induced and long-lived charge separation in a transparent nanostructured semiconductor membrane modified by an adsorbed electron donor and electron acceptor

Robert Hoyle, Joao Sotomayor, Geoffrey Will, Donald Fitzmaurice

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37 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The preparation of transparent nanostructured TiO2 (anatase) membranes is described. Detailed characterization shows these membranes to be 50 μm thick nanoporous-nanocrystalline structures with associated values for porosity and surface roughness of 50% and 5000, respectively. Modification of these membranes by coadsorption of a ruthenium complex, bis[(4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine)(4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′- bipyridine)-ruthenium(II)] dichloride (I), and of a viologen, 1-ethyl-1′-[(4-carboxy-3-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-4,4′-bipyridinium perchlorate (II), is also described. Detailed studies show that visible-light-induced electron transfer by electronically excited I to the conduction band of the nanostructured TiO2 membrane is followed by membrane mediated electron transfer to coadsorbed II. Detailed studies also show that, as a consequence of the rectifying properties of the semiconducting membrane, charge separation is long-lived. The possible significance of these findings for the development of a practical water splitting device is considered.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)10791-10800
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Physical Chemistry B
Volume101
Issue number50
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Dec 1997

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