Valence band light hole

Silver bromide is a semiconductor. Absorbed light excites electrons in the conduction band and electron holes in the valence band. The holes oxidize bromide ions to traces of bromine that are dissolved in the gelatine layer. The free electrons reduce silver ions to silver atoms that form the catalytically active clusters in the halide crystallites. The reactions are ... 

Ep = 2 edcv /wto is approximately 21 meV for most of the III-V and II-VI semiconductors, no is the linear refractive index, and Kpi, is a material independent constant (1940 cm (eV) for a two-parabolic-band model). It should be mentioned that the above model does not correctly account for the degeneracy of the valence band (heavy hole, light hole, and spin-orbit/crystal-field split-off bands) and assumes single parabolic conduction and valence bands. Using the Kane band structure with three valence bands and including excitonic effects have been shown to produce larger TPA coefficients [227]. 

The primary photochemical act, subsequent to near-uv light (wavelengths <400 nm) absorption by Ti02 particles, is generation of electron—hole pairs where the separation (eq. 3) into conduction band electrons (e g ) and valence band holes (/lyB ) faciUtated by the electric field gradient in the space charge region. Chemically, the hole associated with valence band levels is constrained at... 

Calculations [104] show that for L7 > A (the heavier transition metal ions) the gap is of the charge-transfer type, whereas for 1/ < A (the lighter transition metal ions) the gap is of the d-d type. In our nomenclature this may be translated as MMCT LMCT. In the charge-transfer semiconductors the holes are light (anion valence band) and the electrons are heavy (d bands). Examples are CuClj, CuBrj, CuO, NiClj, NiBrj and Nil2. 

Formation of bands in solids by assembly of isolated atoms into a lattice (modified from Bard, 1980). When the band gap Eg kT or when the conduction and valence band overlap, the material is a good conductor of electricity (metals). Under these circumstances, there exist in the solid filled and vacant electronic energy levels at virtually the same energy, so that an electron can move from one level to another with only a small energy of activation. For larger values of Eg, thermal excitation or excitation by absorption of light may transfer an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. There the electron is capable of moving freely to vacant levels. The electron in the conduction band leaves behind a hole in the valence band. 

It is also assumed (Hoffmann 1990) that the adsorbed sulfite is oxidized by the valence band holes, h+b, that are formed through absorption of light with photon energies exceeding the band-gap energy (ca. 2.2 eV) of an iron(III)(hydr)oxide, e.g., hematite (a-Fe203). This interfacial electron transfer reaction results in formation of the SO radical anion which reacts with another radical to form S20 , one of the end product, if the reaction is carried out under nitrogen. 

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