Photocatalysis by Inorganic Solids

Much effort has gone into development of catalysts for photochemical reactions, initially with the objective of converting solar energy into storable fuels (typically H2 from the photolysis of water) but, more recently, mainly for the destruction of noxious pollutants such as chlorocarbons. There are two ways in which a catalyst may be involved in a photochemical reaction it may simply provide a surface on which the reactants can be adsorbed, so that, when a molecule of one reactant is activated by absorption of light, a molecule of the other is held in close proximity to facilitate reaction (a catalyzed photoreaction) or it may itself be excited by the absorption of light and then activate the adsorbed molecules (a sensitized photoreaction). The latter mode is the more relevant to the theme of this chapter, and is exemplified by the photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide, TiOi- [Pg.124]

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