Elucidating protonation pathways in CO₂ photoreduction using the kinetic isotope effect.

ABSTRACT: The surge in anthropogenic CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel dependence demands innovative solutions, such as artificial photosynthesis, to convert CO₂ into value-added products. Unraveling the CO₂ photoreduction mechanism at the molecular level is vital for developing high-performance photocatalysts. Here we show kinetic isotope effect evidence for the contested protonation pathway for CO₂ photoreduction on TiO₂ nanoparticles, which challenges the long-held assumption of electron-initiated activation. Employing isotopically labeled H₂O/D₂O and in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, we observe H⁺/D⁺-protonated intermediates on TiO₂ nanoparticles and captu

SUBMITTER: Yin S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10781958 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature