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Metal-centred states control carrier lifetimes in transition metal oxide photocatalysts

Efficient sunlight-to-fuel conversion requires materials that produce long-lived charges, but increasing carrier lifetimes in visible-light-active photocatalysts has proven difficult. Now it has been shown that rapid charge deactivation via metal-centred states prevents long lifetimes and limits photocatalytic performance. These insights bridge solid-state and molecular photochemistry, informing strategies for improved photocatalyst design.

Michael Sachs
Liam Harnett-Caulfield
James R. Durrant
ResearchOpen Access02 Jul 2025
Nature Chemistry

P: 1-8
All-optical seeding of a light-induced phase transition with correlated disorder

Controlling phase transitions in solids is crucial for many applications. Ultrafast laser pulses have now been shown to enable the energy-efficient generation of structural fluctuations in VO₂ by harnessing the correlated disorder in the material.

Allan S. Johnson
Ernest Pastor
Simon E. Wall
Research11 Apr 2024
Nature Physics

Volume: 20, P: 970-975
Publisher Correction: Propagation of insulator-to-metal transition driven by photoinduced strain waves in a Mott material

Tatsuya Amano
Danylo Babich
Etienne Janod
Amendments and Corrections14 Oct 2024
Nature Physics

Volume: 20, P: 1840
Spectroelectrochemical study of water oxidation on nickel and iron oxyhydroxide electrocatalysts

Multimetallic oxyhydroxides are highly active electrocatalysts for water oxidation but their mechanism and the role of each metal is poorly understood. Here, authors use spectroelectrochemical techniques to probe the species accumulated during catalysis in Ni/Fe oxyhydroxide films.

Laia Francàs
Sacha Corby
James R. Durrant
ResearchOpen Access15 Nov 2019
Nature Communications

Volume: 10, P: 1-10
Spectroelectrochemical analysis of the mechanism of (photo)electrochemical hydrogen evolution at a catalytic interface

Understanding reaction mechanisms in heterogeneous (photo)electrochemical catalysts is key to improving solar-to-fuel conversion efficiencies. Here the authors compare the mechanism of hydrogen evolution on ruthenium oxide as an electrocatalyst and as part of a photocathode via an optical/electrochemical approach.

Ernest Pastor
Florian Le Formal
James R. Durrant
ResearchOpen Access24 Feb 2017
Nature Communications

Volume: 8, P: 1-7
Propagation of insulator-to-metal transition driven by photoinduced strain waves in a Mott material

The mechanism behind the ultrafast insulator-to-metal transition in Mott materials is still not well understood. Now, it is shown that this phase transition propagates along the pathway of a photoinduced compressive strain wave in prototypical V₂O₃.

Tatsuya Amano
Danylo Babich
Etienne Janod
Research17 Sept 2024
Nature Physics

Volume: 20, P: 1778-1785
Correlating activities and defects in (photo)electrocatalysts using in-situ multi-modal microscopic imaging

Physicochemical heterogeneity poses a significant constraint in photocatalyst advancement. Here the authors introduce a multimodal optical microscopy platform to assess activity and defects concurrently in photoelectrocatalysts, revealing that disorder can unexpectedly enhance local photoelectrocatalytic performance in certain instances.

Camilo A. Mesa
Michael Sachs
Raj Pandya
ResearchOpen Access09 May 2024
Nature Communications

Volume: 15, P: 1-12
Ultrafast lattice disordering can be accelerated by electronic collisional forces

The Born–Oppenheimer approximation is the prevailing assumption for interpreting ultrafast electron dynamics in solids. Evidence now suggests that collisions between electrons and lattice not captured by this approximation play an important role.

Gilberto A. de la Peña Muñoz
Alfredo A. Correa
Mariano Trigo
Research29 Jun 2023
Nature Physics

Volume: 19, P: 1489-1494
Genome maps across 26 human populations reveal population-specific patterns of structural variation

Large structural variants (SV) are understudied in human genetics research because of the difficulty to detect them in the routinely generated short-read sequencing data. Here, the authors generate optical genome maps of 154 individuals from 26 populations that allow comprehensive examination of large SVs.

Michal Levy-Sakin
Steven Pastor
Pui-Yan Kwok
ResearchOpen Access04 Mar 2019
Nature Communications

Volume: 10, P: 1-14
Multihole water oxidation catalysis on haematite photoanodes revealed by operando spectroelectrochemistry and DFT

The oxidation of water remains the kinetic bottleneck of solar-to-fuel synthesis. Now, spectroelectrochemical evidence together with density functional theory calculations show that charge accumulation determines the reaction mechanism on metal–oxide photoanodes. These insights reveal features that are common to the mechanisms of water oxidation carried out by other inorganic and biological systems.

Camilo A. Mesa
Laia Francàs
James R. Durrant
Research21 Oct 2019
Nature Chemistry

Volume: 12, P: 82-89
In situ observation of picosecond polaron self-localisation in α-Fe₂O₃ photoelectrochemical cells

The efficiency of Hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) photo-anodes is thought to be limited by ultrafast lattice distortions or polarons. Here, we use an optical-control method with photocurrent detection to track small polarons in real time and demonstrate that they impact photoelectrochemical cell activity

Ernest Pastor
Ji-Sang Park
Artem A. Bakulin
ResearchOpen Access03 Sept 2019
Nature Communications

Volume: 10, P: 1-7
Drop-on-demand sample delivery for studying biocatalysts in action at X-ray free-electron lasers

A robust acoustic droplet ejection–drop-on-tape method delivers samples to an X-ray free-electron laser source for combined serial femtosecond crystallography and X-ray emission spectroscopy analysis, providing detailed insights into macromolecular reaction dynamics.

Franklin D Fuller
Sheraz Gul
Junko Yano
Research27 Feb 2017
Nature Methods

Volume: 14, P: 443-449
Publisher Correction: Spectroelectrochemical study of water oxidation on nickel and iron oxyhydroxide electrocatalysts

Laia Francàs
Sacha Corby
James R. Durrant
Amendments and CorrectionsOpen Access16 Jan 2020
Nature Communications

Volume: 11, P: 1-2
Complementary probes for the electrochemical interface

Electrochemical devices enable clean energy technologies such as hydrogen cells, batteries and solar fuels. Their design is hindered by incomplete information about the electrochemical interface during operation. Complementary optoelectronic probes offer a path to improved mechanistic insights into such interfaces.

Ernest Pastor
Zan Lian
F. Pelayo García de Arquer
Reviews22 Feb 2024
Nature Reviews Chemistry

Volume: 8, P: 159-178
Electronic defects in metal oxide photocatalysts

Defects have a key role in determining the functionality of solids and can make them powerful catalysts. This Review examines defect chemistry in metal oxides and discusses the role that charged defects and polarons have in enabling photoelectrochemical reactions.

Ernest Pastor
Michael Sachs
Aron Walsh
Reviews04 May 2022
Nature Reviews Materials

Volume: 7, P: 503-521
Structures of the intermediates of Kok’s photosynthetic water oxidation clock

Crystallography and spectroscopy are used to solve high-resolution structures of the intermediates of Kok’s S-state clock in photosystem II.

Jan Kern
Ruchira Chatterjee
Vittal K. Yachandra
Research07 Nov 2018
Nature

Volume: 563, P: 421-425
Structure of photosystem II and substrate binding at room temperature

The structures of three intermediate states of photosystem II, which is crucial for photosynthesis, have been solved at room temperature, shedding new light on this process.

Iris D. Young
Mohamed Ibrahim
Junko Yano
Research21 Nov 2016
Nature

Volume: 540, P: 453-457
Mifepristone in the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala Reduces Yohimbine Stress-Induced Reinstatement of Ethanol-Seeking

Jeffrey A Simms
Carolina L Haass-Koffler
Selena E Bartlett
Research02 Nov 2011
Neuropsychopharmacology

Volume: 37, P: 906-918

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