Hydrogen Oxidation-Driven Hot Electron Flow Detected by Catalytic Nanodiodes

Hydrogen oxidation on platinum is shown to be a surface catalytic chemical reaction that generates a steady state flux of hot (>1 eV) conduction electrons. These hot electrons are detected as a steady-state chemicurrent across Pt/TiO(2) Schottky diodes whose Pt surface is exposed to hydrogen and oxygen. Kinetic studies establish that the chemicurrent is proportional to turnover frequency for temperatures ranging from 298 to 373 K for P(H2) between 1 and 8 Torr and P(O2) at 760 Torr. Both chemicurrent and turnover frequency exhibit a first order dependence on P(H2).