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Direct observation of sequential oxidations of a titania-bound molecular proxy catalyst generated through illumination of molecular sensitizers

Nature Chemistry volume 10, pages 17–23 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Natural photosynthesis uses the energy in sunlight to oxidize or reduce reaction centres multiple times, therefore preparing each reaction centre for a multiple-electron-transfer reaction that will ultimately generate stable reaction products. This process relies on multiple chromophores per reaction centre to quickly generate the active state of the reaction centre and to outcompete deleterious charge recombination. Using a similar design principle, we report spectroscopic evidence for the generation of a twice-oxidized TiO2-bound molecular proxy catalyst after low-intensity visible-light excitation of co-anchored molecular Ru(II)–polypyridyl dyes. Electron transfer from an excited dye to TiO2 generated a Ru(III) state that subsequently and repeatedly reacted with neighbouring Ru(II) dyes via self-exchange electron transfer to ultimately oxidize a distant co-anchored proxy catalyst before charge recombination. The largest yield for twice-oxidized proxy catalysts occurred when they were present at low coverage, suggesting that large dye/electrocatalyst ratios are also desired in dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells.

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Figure 1: Chemical structures, relative energetics, and processes proposed to occur at TiO2 nanoparticles.
Figure 2: Spectroelectrochemical absorption spectra of functionalized TiO2 thin-film electrodes.
Figure 3: Transient absorption difference spectra of co-functionalized (RuII+RC-11)/TiO2 thin-film electrodes.
Figure 4: Transient absorption data as a function of time for (RuII + RC-11)/TiO2 thin films.
Figure 5: Steady-state difference spectra for a (RuII + RC-11 (97:3))/TiO2 thin film.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the School of Physical Sciences at the University of California Irvine and the National Science Foundation under CHE – 1566160. The authors acknowledge the UCI Laser Spectroscopy Facility (LSF) for transient absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy instrumentations, the NMR Facility for NMR measurements, the Laboratory for Electron and X-ray Instrumentation (LEXI) for SEM measurements and the Mass Spectrometry Facility for ESI–MS measurements. The authors thank J. Cardon, who is supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, for performing additional control experiments during the review process. The authors also thank V. Nair for SEM measurements, D. Fishman, W. Van der Veer and A. Alshawa for assistance and guidance with the LSF instrumentation, J. Winkler for general laser and electronics guidance and H. Gray and A. Borovik for use of their laboratory space and their group members for support and guidance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, 92697, California, USA

    Hsiang-Yun Chen & Shane Ardo

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California Irvine, Irvine, 92697, California, USA

    Shane Ardo

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  1. Hsiang-Yun Chen
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Contributions

S.A. conceived the research, wrote the Monte Carlo code and performed the Monte Carlo simulations. H.-Y.C. synthesized molecules and materials, prepared samples, performed measurements and analysed the data, with advice from S.A. S.A. and H.-Y.C. discussed the results and prepared the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Shane Ardo.

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Chen, HY., Ardo, S. Direct observation of sequential oxidations of a titania-bound molecular proxy catalyst generated through illumination of molecular sensitizers. Nature Chem 10, 17–23 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2892

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