Rate constants for recombination and hole transfer during oxygen evolution at illuminated α-Fe(2)O(3) electrodes were measured by intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy and found to be remarkably low. Treatment of the electrode with a Co(II) solution suppressed surface recombination but did not catalyse hole transfer. Intermediates in the reaction were detected spectroscopically.

Thin mesoporous films of α-Fe(2)O(3) have been prepared on conducting glass substrates using layer-by-layer self-assembly of ca. 4 nm hydrous oxide nanoparticles followed by calcining. The electrodes were used to study the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in the dark and under illumination using in situ potential-modulated absorption spectroscopy (PMAS) and light-modulated absorption spectroscopy (LMAS) combined with impedance spectroscopy. Formation of surface-bound higher-valent iron species (or "surface trapped holes") was deduced from the PMAS spectra measured in the OER onset region. Similar LMAS spectra were obtained at more negative potentials in the onset region of photoelectrochemical OER, indicating involvement of the same intermediates. The impedance response of the mesoporous α-Fe(2)O(3) electrodes exhibits characteristic transmission line behavior that is attributed to slow hopping of holes, probably between surface iron species. Frequency-resolved PMAS and LMAS measurements revealed slow relaxation behavior that can be related to the impedance response and that indicates that the lifetime of the intermediates (or trapped holes) involved in the OER is remarkably long.

No abstract

The GeIV chlorometallate complexes, [EMIM]2[GeCl6], [EDMIM]2[GeCl6] and [PYRR]2[GeCl6] (EMIM=1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium; EDMIM=2,3-dimethyl-1-ethylimidazolium; PYRR=N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium) have been synthesised and fully characterised; the first two also by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The imidazolium chlorometallates exhibited significant C–H⋅⋅⋅Cl hydrogen bonds, resulting in extended supramolecular assemblies in the solid state. Solution 1H NMR data also showed cation–anion association. The synthesis and characterisation of GeII halometallate salts [EMIM][GeX3] (X=Cl, Br, I) and [PYRR][GeCl3], including single-crystal X-ray analyses for the homologous series of imidazolium salts, are reported. In these complexes, the intermolecular interactions are much weaker in the solid state and they appear not to be significantly associated in solution. Cyclic-voltammetry experiments on the GeIV species in CH2Cl2 solution showed two distinct, irreversible reduction waves attributed to GeIV–GeII and GeII–Ge0, whereas the GeII species exhibited one irreversible reduction wave. The potential for the GeII–Ge0 reduction was unaffected by changing the cation, although altering the oxidation state of the precursor from GeIV to GeII does have an effect; for a given cation, reduction from the [GeCl3]− salts occurred at a less cathodic potential. The nature of the halide co-ligand also has a marked influence on the reduction potential for the GeII–Ge0 couple, such that the reduction potentials for the [GeX3]− salts become significantly less cathodic when the halide (X) is changed Cl→Br→I.

A note on versions:The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the repository url above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. chlorometallate complexes we demonstrate the deposition of elemental Ga, In, Ge, Sn, Sb, Bi, Se, Te. In all cases, with the exception of Ga which is a liquid under the deposition conditions, the resulting deposits are characterised by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction and Raman. An advantage of this electrolyte system is that the reagents are all crystalline solids that are reasonably easy to handle and that are not highly water or oxygen sensitive. The results presented here significantly broaden the range of materials accessible by electrodeposition from supercritical fluid and open the future possibility to deposit binary or ternary alloys and compounds of the p-block.