PRODUCT SELECTIVITY CONTROL IN PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL REDUCTION OF KETONES ON A P-SI PHOTOCATHODE

Product selectivity for the electrochemical reduction of aromatic keto nes was found to be controlled on a semiconducting p-Si and p-GaAs ele ctrodes by illumination. The selectivity control was neither induced o n semiconducting n-Si and conducting metal (Sn) electrodes under illum ination nor in the reduction of an aliphatic ketone on the p-Si electr ode. It was concluded that the excitation of both the semiconducting e lectrodes and ketone molecules are inevitably required for the selecti vity control. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.