Photoinjection of hydrogen and the nature of a giant shift of the fundamental absorption edge in highly disordered V2O5 films

Abstract

Production of atomic photochemical hydrogen under the action of light and its subsequent injection into transition metal oxides has yielded numerous interesting results. Here we report on the mechanism of the photo-induced hydrogen transfer between adsorbed organic molecules and the surface of highly disordered V₂O₅ films. We have managed to carry out the photoinjection of hydrogen into the V₂O₅ films at very low temperatures, which is very important both for investigations of the reaction mechanism and for the optical properties of the V₂O₅ films. The photochemical reaction exhibits all features of proton-coupled electron transfer which is a basic mechanism for bioenergetics conversion. Second, the new possibility to carry out experiments at very low temperatures has yielded a new approach in investigations of the nature of color centers and of the giant “blue” shift of the fundamental absorption edge in the V₂O₅ films both arising due to injection of hydrogen atoms.