Analytical Sciences

Kinetics of Photoinduced Charge Transfer at Microscopic and Macroscopic Interfaces

Michael G. KUZMIN*, Irina V. SOBOLEVA* and Nicholas A. KOTOV**

*Department of Chemistry, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow University, Moscow 117234, Russia
**Department of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA

Charge transfer at a liquid-liquid interface is the key process in a variety of chemical and biochemical processes. The kinetics of electron and proton transfer was investigated at micro- and macroscopic interfaces. Experimentally, these techniques are very distinct due to different approaches in measuring the interfacial potential. Nevertheless, three processes, i.e. generation of charge carriers, diffusion and interfacial transfer, constitute three principal steps of charge separation, and are similar regardless of the dimensionality of the system. Differences in (1) the thickness of the double electric layer, (2) span of the photoreaction zone, and (3) relative rate of electron-transfer and phase-transfer reactions enable approximations which are quite unique for a particular system. The mathematical models, corresponding experi-mental results, and computer-simulation techniques resulting from various descriptions of charge transfer are discussed. (Keywords: Interface, liquid-liquid, micelle, vesicle, interfacial potential, charge transfer)

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