Heterogeneous photocatalysis quantum yield determination

The difficulty of quantum yield determination in heterogeneous photocatalysis is related to reflection and scattering of UV/VlS radiation by suspended catalyst grains. Consequently, Serpone and Salinaro (1999) proposed a detailed protocol for the determination of photonic efficiencies (quantum yields) or relative photonic efficiencies, suggesting the photocatalyzed degradation of phenol as a standard reaction (using Ti02 as photocatalyst). 

Salinaro A, Emeline AV, Zhao J, Hidaka H, Ryabchuk VK, Serpone N. Terminology, relative photonic efficiencies and quantum yields in heterogeneous photocatalysis. Part II. Experimental determination of quantum yields. Pure Appl Chem 1999 71 321-35. 

The efficacy of semiconductor devices in photocatalysis is typically described by the quantum yield (j). While determining this parameter in homogeneous photochemistry presents no great difficulties, in heterogeneous media the challenges have been insurmountable to many workers for several years owing to the lack of an appropriate protocol. This was remedied by Serpone and Salinaro (1999), and appropriate experimental details were enumerated by Salinaro et al. (1999). Another useful parameter, the relative photonic efficiency 4ei (defined in Section 5.4.1) also provided a method by which work from many laboratories in environmental photochemistry could be calibrated when the more fundamental parameter 4> could not be accessed because of experimental limitations (Salinaro et al, 1999). 

Salinaro, A., Emeline, A. V., Zhao, J., Hidaka, H., Ryabchuk, V. A., Serpone, N., Terminology, Relative Photonic Efficiencies and Quantum Yields in Heterogeneous Photocatalysis. Part II Experimental Determination of Quantum Yields, Pure Appl. Chem. 1999, 71, 321 335. 

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