Database of Photocharged Materials

Photocharging, also known as photodoping, is a phenomenon where electrons accumulate within a semiconductor material upon bandgap excitation. This process involves the quenching of photogenerated holes by reductants. In photocharged semiconductors, the negative charge is balanced by cations, with the most common being H+ ions. Since the 1980s, photocharging of semiconductors has been extensively studied from both fundamental and practical perspectives. For example, photocharged semiconductor serves as a source of electrons and protons for reducing organic compounds in the absence of light. This database summarizes experimental data collected over four decades of research on photocharged semiconductors. Key parameters used to characterize the photocharged semiconductors are i) the maximum specific concentration of electrons stored in 1 gram of semiconductor material, ii) the maximum average number of electrons stored per semiconductor particle, iii) the initial rate of photocharging, and iv) the initial rate of semiconductor discharging upon addition of the oxidant in the dark. In addition to these parameters, the database contains the conditions of photocharging process, such as type and concentration of electron donor, light intensity, solvent, etc. and semiconductors particles properties, such as type of semiconductor, particle diameter, specific surface area, etc.