The preparation of transparent nanostructured TiO 2 (anatase) membranes is described. Detailed characterization shows these membranes to be 50 μm thick nanoporous-nanocrystalline structures with associated values for porosity and surface roughness of 50% and 5000, respectively. Modification of these membranes by coadsorption of a ruthenium complex, bis[(4,4‘-dicarboxy-2,2‘-bipyridine)(4,4‘-dimethyl-2,2‘-bipyridine)ruthenium(II)] dichloride ( I ), and of a viologen, 1-ethyl-1‘-[(4-carboxy-3-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-4,4‘-bipyridinium perchlorate ( II ), is also described. Detailed studies show that visible-light-induced electron transfer by electronically excited I to the conduction band of the nanostructured TiO 2 membrane is followed by membrane mediated electron transfer to coadsorbed II . Detailed studies also show that, as a consequence of the rectifying properties of the semiconducting membrane, charge separation is long-lived. The possible significance of these findings for the development of a practical water splitting device is considered.
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Hoyle et al. (1997) studied this question.