Studies of Photoredox Reactions on Nanosize Semiconductors

Light induced electron transfer (ET) from nanosize semiconductors of MoS2 to organic electron acceptors such as 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) and methyl substituted 4,4′,5,5′-tetramethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (tmb) was studied by static and time resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. The kinetics of ET were varied by changing the nanocluster size (the band gap), the electron acceptor, and the polarity of the solvent. MoS2is an especially interesting semiconductor material as it is an indirect semiconductor in bulk form, and has a layered covalent bonding arrangement which is highly resistant to photocorrosion.