Role of water oxidation catalyst, IrO2 in shuttling photogenerated holes across TiO2 interface

Iridium oxide, a water oxidation cocatalyst, plays an important role in mediating the hole transfer process of a UV-irradiated TiO2 system. Spectroscopic identification of trapped holes has enabled their characterization in colloidal TiO2 suspension and monitoring of the transfer of trapped holes to IrO2. Titration of trapped holes with potassium iodide yields an estimate of three holes per particle during 7 min of UV irradiation of TiO2 suspension in ethanol containing 5% acetic acid. The hole transfer to IrO2 occurs with a rate constant of 6 × 105 s–1. Interestingly, IrO2 also catalyzes the recombination of trapped holes with reduced oxygen species. The results discussed here provide a mechanistic and kinetic insight into the catalytic role of IrO2 in the photogenerated hole transfer process.