Interplay Between Charge Accumulation and Oxygen Reduction Catalysis in Nanostructured TiO ₂ Electrodes Functionalized with a Molecular Catalyst

Light-induced water oxidation at silicon electrodes functionalized with a cobalt oxygen-evolving catalyst.

Integrating a silicon solar cell with a recently developed cobalt-based water-splitting catalyst (Co-Pi) yields a robust, monolithic, photo-assisted anode for the solar fuels process of water splitting to O(2) at neutral pH. Deposition of the Co-Pi catalyst on the Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)-passivated p-side of a np-Si junction enables the majority of the voltage generated by the solar cell to be u...

Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes for Catalysis of Oxygen Reduction

Efficient direct oxygen reduction by laccases attached and oriented on pyrene-functionalized polypyrrole/carbon nanotube electrodes.

We report the functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) electrodes by oxidative electropolymerization of pyrrole monomers bearing pyrene and N-hydroxysuccinimide groups. Both polymers were applied to the immobilization and electrical wiring of Trametes versicolor laccase via chemical grafting or non-covalent binding. A "pseudo" host-guest interaction of polymerized pyrene with a...

Coupling between a Molecular Charge-Transfer Exciton and Surface Plasmons in a Nanostructured Metal Grating

The interaction of molecular excitons in organic thin films with surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in nanostructured metal electrodes represents a unique opportunity for enhancing the properties of the active layer of a photoconversion device. We present evidence of hybridization between charge-transfer excitons (CTEs) in 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) and SPP modes in sil...

Chiral catalysis with nanostructured supports

In spite of the inherent advantages of reuse and stability of immobilized chiral catalysts, they are frequently not enough to justify the effort necessary to immobilize the chiral complexes, unless additional advantages are found. When chiral catalysts are immobilized on solids with surface and pores of well controlled size, shape and dimensionality, the solid may act as a nano-reactor reducing...