A unified treatment of the electrochemical photo effect at metal electrodes

Abstract

The electrochemical photo effect is analysed in terms of the Gurney model of electrochemical charge transfer. Various absorption processes and their effect on the proton discharge step of the hydrogen evolution reaction are treated and the dependence of the photo effect on radiation frequency and electrode potential is derived for each absorption process. The analysis is compared with the presently available experimental results and a useful application of the photo effect is outlined.