Electron transfer dynamics in fuel producing photosystems

Abstract

An often overlooked aspect of solar fuel production is the inherent mismatch between bulk charge carrier lifetimes and rates of charge transfer reactions. Considering water oxidation, interfacial charge transfer occurs on the millisecond to second timescales while bulk charge carrier lifetimes of metal oxides are typically in the fast picosecond–nanosecond regime. For charge transfer to efficiently compete with charge recombination, strategies that substantially increase the charge carrier lifetime need to be applied. In this chapter, we discuss the magnitude of the kinetic mismatch, overview common effective charge separation strategies that address this mismatch and highlight recent developments in our understanding of these processes. We also touch upon recent advances in determining the chemical nature of key reaction intermediates.