Simultaneous two-electron transfer from photoirradiated semiconductor to molecular catalyst

Better understanding the multi-electron transfer processes in photocatalytic water splitting and CO 2 reduction is crucial for the development of the efficient artificial photosynthesis systems for production of solar fuels. Here, the multi-electron transfer from TiO 2 to cobaloxime (a molecular catalyst) in cobaloxime/TiO 2 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 TiO 2 to cobaloxime is the most plausible account for the interpretation of the observed photocatalytic activities . And the accumulation of photogenerated electrons in TiO 2 is an essential prerequisite for simultaneous two-electron transfer from semiconductor to the molecular catalyst based on the analysis of charge transfer processes.