August 29, 2024
[Press Release] Operando Identification of Reactive Electron Species Driving Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution on Metal-Loaded Oxides –Unveiling Actual Role of Metal Cocatalysts–
Release Summary
Synchronizing periodic excitations of photocatalysts with a Michelson interferometer on operando FT–IR spectroscopy, researchers led by Toshiki Sugimoto, Institute for Molecular Science / The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDA, succeeded in observing and identifying the reactive electron species for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. In contrast to the traditional belief, this study demonstrates that not the free electrons in metal cocatalysts but the electrons trapped in the periphery of cocatalysts directly contribute to the photocatalysis.