Steering photoinduced multi-electron accumulation via high-concentration sacrificial electron donors

Abstract

Efficient artificial photosynthesis requires rapid, sequential multi-electron transfer and accumulation. This work demonstrates a kinetic strategy for efficient two-electron accumulation, leveraging high-concentration sacrificial electron donors. Transient spectroscopy confirms that pseudo-first-order reduction of the perylene diimide radical anion excited state (PDI˙⁻*) outcompetes its intrinsic deactivation, enabling long-lived PDI²⁻ generation.