Microwave-enhanced photocatalysis on CdS quantum dots - Evidence of acceleration of photoinduced electron transfer

The rate of electron transfer is critical in determining the efficiency of photoenergy conversion systems and is controlled by changing the relative energy gap of components, their geometries, or surroundings. However, the rate of electron transfer has not been controlled by the remote input of an external field without changing the geometries or materials of the systems. We demonstrate here that an applied microwave field can enhance the photocatalytic reduction of bipyridinium ion using CdS quantum dots (QDs) by accelerating electron transfer. Analysis of the time-resolved emission decay profiles of CdS quantum dots immersed in aqueous solutions of bipyridinium exhibited the shortening of their emission lifetimes, because of the accelerated electron transfer from QDs to bipyridinium under microwave irradiation. This discovery leads us to a new methodology using microwaves as an external field to enhance photocatalytic reactions.