AVS 62nd International Symposium & Exhibition
    Surface Science Tuesday Sessions
       Session SS+EN-TuA

Paper SS+EN-TuA1
Photoemission of Electron from Diamond Into Water: Enabling Novel Electrochemical Reduction Reactions

Tuesday, October 20, 2015, 2:20 pm, Room 112

Session: Photocatalysis, Photochemistry, and Chirality at Surfaces
Presenter: Robert Hamers, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Authors: R.J. Hamers, University of Wisconsin-Madison
D. Zhu, University of Wisconsin-Madison
L.H. Zhang, University of Wisconsin-Madison
J. Bandy, University of Wisconsin-Madson
G.M. Nathanson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
J.R. Schmidt, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Correspondent: Click to Email
Diamond's unusual property of negative electron affinity has long been used to enhance electron emission in vacuum. Recently we have demonstrated that diamond's facile electron emission properties can also be extended to solid-liquid interfaces. Electron photoemitted from diamond into water lead to formation of solvated electrons, widely regarded as the chemist's perfect reducing agent. We demonstrate the inexpensive diamond thin films and diamond powder can be used as solid-state sources of electrons able to induce the reduction of N2 to NH3 and the selective reduction of CO2 to CO. In this talk we will discuss the factors that influence electron emission into liquids, differences from emission into vacuum, and how electrons emitted into liquids can induce novel reduced chemistry not possible with traditional photocatalysts.