Light-Driven Reduction of Carbon Dioxide with Hybrid Photoelectrodes

Integration of molecular catalysts that reduce CO₂ to CO with silicon photoelectrodes has been achieved through both covalent and non-covalent attachment methods. These hybrid photoelectrodes have been characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and bulk photoelectrolysis with product analysis are used to establish that these hybrid photoelectrodes are competent for light-driven fuel production with high Faradaic efficiencies.