Leif Hammarström group

Fundamental mechanistic studies related to artificial photosynthesis and photoredox catalysis, using laser-spectroscopy, photochemical and electrochemical methods.
About us
The Hammarström Group works on fundamental mechanistic studies related to artificial photosynthesis and photoredox catalysis, using laser-spectroscopy, photochemical and electrochemical methods. We are part of the Swedish Consortium for Artificial Photosynthesis. Our studies are focused on design and study of molecular systems for controlling photoinduced electron transfer and proton-coupled electron transfer, and for coupling photoinduced charge separation to multi-electron reactions.
Read our paper on Proton-Coupled Energy Transfer in Science.
Our research
Welcome to the Leif Hammarström research group, to the right you will see a list of our research. Follow the links to read more about specific research areas.
We work on fundamental mechanisms of photoinduced and proton-coupled electron transfer reactions, in molecular and molecule/semiconductor systems. We work with experimental tools to distinguish step-wise and concerted proton-coupled electron transfer mechanisms, and determine conditions allowing for concerted reactions in multi-electron/-proton reactions.
We study synthetic catalysts for H2 production, CO2 reduction and water splitting to understand the catalytic cycle. By a combination of spectroscopic, photochemical and electrochemical methods we capture intermediates and study critical reaction steps.
We also study electron transfer dynamics in dye-sensitized photocathodes of p-type materials (e.g. NiO). They open for the possibility of tandem solar cells for high photovoltage devices and for solar fuels generation with molecular catalysts, where H2 production and water splitting occur in separate half-cell reactions.
Research projects
- Proton-coupled electron transfer
- Ultra-fast electron transfer
- p-type dye-sensitized solar cells and photoelectrochemical cells
- Catalysts and mechanisms
- Accumulative electron transfer
- Q-dot/molecular systems
- Photoredox catalysis
- Soap Film Artificial Photosynthesis (SoFiA)
Group members
Publications
Revising exciton diffusion lengths in polymer dot photocatalysts
Part of Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP, p. 1083-1088, 2025
- DOI for Revising exciton diffusion lengths in polymer dot photocatalysts
- Download full text (pdf) of Revising exciton diffusion lengths in polymer dot photocatalysts
Part of ACS Catalysis, p. 4186-4201, 2024
- DOI for Ultrafast Electron Transfer from CuInS2 Quantum Dots to a Molecular Catalyst for Hydrogen Production: Challenging Diffusion Limitations
- Download full text (pdf) of Ultrafast Electron Transfer from CuInS2 Quantum Dots to a Molecular Catalyst for Hydrogen Production: Challenging Diffusion Limitations
Part of Journal of the American Chemical Society, p. 15648-15658, 2024
- DOI for Multi-Variable Multi-Metric Optimization of Self-Assembled Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction Performance Using Machine Learning Algorithms
- Download full text (pdf) of Multi-Variable Multi-Metric Optimization of Self-Assembled Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction Performance Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Part of Nature Chemistry, p. 624-632, 2024
- DOI for Directed ultrafast conformational changes accompany electron transfer in a photolyase as resolved by serial crystallography
- Download full text (pdf) of Directed ultrafast conformational changes accompany electron transfer in a photolyase as resolved by serial crystallography
Part of ACS Catalysis, p. 16324-16334, 2024
- DOI for Direct Detection of Key Intermediates during the Product Release in Rhenium Bipyridine-Catalyzed CO2 Reduction Reaction
- Download full text (pdf) of Direct Detection of Key Intermediates during the Product Release in Rhenium Bipyridine-Catalyzed CO2 Reduction Reaction
Part of Nature Communications, 2024
- DOI for Embedding biocatalysts in a redox polymer enhances the performance of dye-sensitized photocathodes in bias-free photoelectrochemical water splitting
- Download full text (pdf) of Embedding biocatalysts in a redox polymer enhances the performance of dye-sensitized photocathodes in bias-free photoelectrochemical water splitting
Enter MnIV-NHC: A Dark Photooxidant with a Long-Lived Charge-Transfer Excited State
Part of Journal of the American Chemical Society, p. 24619-24629, 2024
- DOI for Enter MnIV-NHC: A Dark Photooxidant with a Long-Lived Charge-Transfer Excited State
- Download full text (pdf) of Enter MnIV-NHC: A Dark Photooxidant with a Long-Lived Charge-Transfer Excited State
Realizing Symmetry-Breaking Architectures in Soap Films
Part of Physical Review Letters, 2024
- DOI for Realizing Symmetry-Breaking Architectures in Soap Films
- Download full text (pdf) of Realizing Symmetry-Breaking Architectures in Soap Films
Part of Chemical Science, p. 3957-3970, 2024
- DOI for Switching the proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism for non-canonical tyrosine residues in a de novo protein
- Download full text (pdf) of Switching the proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism for non-canonical tyrosine residues in a de novo protein
Meta-Ortho Effect on the Excited State Pathways of Chloroanilines
Part of European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2024
- DOI for Meta-Ortho Effect on the Excited State Pathways of Chloroanilines
- Download full text (pdf) of Meta-Ortho Effect on the Excited State Pathways of Chloroanilines
Part of ACS Catalysis, p. 585-593, 2024
- DOI for β-Scission of Secondary Alcohols via Photosensitization: Synthetic Utilization and Mechanistic Insights
- Download full text (pdf) of β-Scission of Secondary Alcohols via Photosensitization: Synthetic Utilization and Mechanistic Insights
Access to long-lived room temperature phosphorescence through auration of 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole
Part of Dalton Transactions, p. 5658-5664, 2024
- DOI for Access to long-lived room temperature phosphorescence through auration of 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole
- Download full text (pdf) of Access to long-lived room temperature phosphorescence through auration of 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole
Part of Inorganic Chemistry, p. 18391-18398, 2023
- DOI for Mechanistic Insights and Synthetic Explorations of the Photoredox-Catalyzed Activation of Halophosphines
- Download full text (pdf) of Mechanistic Insights and Synthetic Explorations of the Photoredox-Catalyzed Activation of Halophosphines
Mechanistic Insights into the Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production of Y5 and Y6 Nanoparticles
Part of The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, p. 12631-12639, 2023
- DOI for Mechanistic Insights into the Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production of Y5 and Y6 Nanoparticles
- Download full text (pdf) of Mechanistic Insights into the Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production of Y5 and Y6 Nanoparticles
Part of ACS Catalysis, p. 9476-9486, 2023
- DOI for Elucidating Electron Transfer Kinetics and Optimizing System Performance for Escherichia coli-Based Semi-Artificial H-2 Production
- Download full text (pdf) of Elucidating Electron Transfer Kinetics and Optimizing System Performance for Escherichia coli-Based Semi-Artificial H-2 Production
Part of Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP, p. 2935-2945, 2023
- DOI for Excited-state and charge-carrier dynamics in binary conjugated polymer dots towards efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
- Download full text (pdf) of Excited-state and charge-carrier dynamics in binary conjugated polymer dots towards efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Part of Chemical Reviews, p. 6545-6611, 2023
- DOI for Molecular Catalysis of Energy Relevance in Metal–Organic Frameworks: From Higher Coordination Sphere to System Effects
- Download full text (pdf) of Molecular Catalysis of Energy Relevance in Metal–Organic Frameworks: From Higher Coordination Sphere to System Effects
Part of Journal of the American Chemical Society, p. 11067-11073, 2023
- DOI for Charge Recombination Deceleration by Lateral Transfer of Electrons in Dye-Sensitized NiO Photocathode
- Download full text (pdf) of Charge Recombination Deceleration by Lateral Transfer of Electrons in Dye-Sensitized NiO Photocathode
A Bidirectional Bioinspired [FeFe]-Hydrogenase Model
Part of Journal of the American Chemical Society, p. 3614-3625, 2022
Part of Energy Advances, p. 303-311, 2022
- DOI for Assessing the effect of surface states of mesoporous NiO films on charge transport and unveiling an unexpected light response phenomenon in tandem dye-sensitized solar cells
- Download full text (pdf) of Assessing the effect of surface states of mesoporous NiO films on charge transport and unveiling an unexpected light response phenomenon in tandem dye-sensitized solar cells
Gold nanoparticle-based supramolecular approach for dye-sensitized H-2-evolving photocathodes
Part of Dalton Transactions, p. 15716-15724, 2022
- DOI for Gold nanoparticle-based supramolecular approach for dye-sensitized H-2-evolving photocathodes
- Download full text (pdf) of Gold nanoparticle-based supramolecular approach for dye-sensitized H-2-evolving photocathodes
Sustainable Ir-Photoredox Catalysis by Means of Heterogenization
Part of ACS ORGANIC & INORGANIC AU, p. 427-432, 2022
- DOI for Sustainable Ir-Photoredox Catalysis by Means of Heterogenization
- Download full text (pdf) of Sustainable Ir-Photoredox Catalysis by Means of Heterogenization
Part of Journal of the American Chemical Society, p. 7308-7319, 2022
- DOI for Concerted and Stepwise Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer for Tryptophan-Derivative Oxidation with Water as the Primary Proton Acceptor: Clarifying a Controversy
- Download full text (pdf) of Concerted and Stepwise Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer for Tryptophan-Derivative Oxidation with Water as the Primary Proton Acceptor: Clarifying a Controversy
Proton-coupled energy transfer in molecular triads
Part of Science, p. 742-746, 2022
Self-Assembled Liposomes Enhance Electron Transfer for Efficient Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
Part of Journal of the American Chemical Society, p. 9399-9412, 2022
- DOI for Self-Assembled Liposomes Enhance Electron Transfer for Efficient Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
- Download full text (pdf) of Self-Assembled Liposomes Enhance Electron Transfer for Efficient Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
Part of Journal of Physics D, 2022
Part of Chemical Science, 2022
- DOI for Strategies for Switching the Mechanism of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Reactions Illustrated by Mechanistic Zone Diagrams
- Download full text (pdf) of Strategies for Switching the Mechanism of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Reactions Illustrated by Mechanistic Zone Diagrams
Electron-hopping across dye-sensitized mesoporous NiO surfaces
Part of Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP, p. 29850-29861, 2022
- DOI for Electron-hopping across dye-sensitized mesoporous NiO surfaces
- Download full text (pdf) of Electron-hopping across dye-sensitized mesoporous NiO surfaces
Nanotechnology for catalysis and solar energy conversion
Part of Nanotechnology, 2021
- DOI for Nanotechnology for catalysis and solar energy conversion
- Download full text (pdf) of Nanotechnology for catalysis and solar energy conversion
Part of Journal of Physical Chemistry A, p. 7670-7684, 2021
- DOI for Solvent and Temperature Effects on Photoinduced Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer in the Marcus Inverted Region
- Download full text (pdf) of Solvent and Temperature Effects on Photoinduced Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer in the Marcus Inverted Region
Part of ACS Nano, p. 13504-13515, 2021
- DOI for From NiMoO4 to γ-NiOOH: Detecting the Active Catalyst Phase by Time Resolved in Situ and Operando Raman Spectroscopy
- Download full text (pdf) of From NiMoO4 to γ-NiOOH: Detecting the Active Catalyst Phase by Time Resolved in Situ and Operando Raman Spectroscopy
Part of The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, p. 14751-14764, 2021
- DOI for Ultrafast Dynamics in Cu-Deficient CuInS2 Quantum Dots: Sub-Bandgap Transitions and Self-Assembled Molecular Catalysts
- Download full text (pdf) of Ultrafast Dynamics in Cu-Deficient CuInS2 Quantum Dots: Sub-Bandgap Transitions and Self-Assembled Molecular Catalysts
Part of Journal of the American Chemical Society, p. 2875-2885, 2021
- DOI for Panchromatic Ternary Polymer Dots Involving Sub-Picosecond Energy and Charge Transfer for Efficient and Stable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
- Download full text (pdf) of Panchromatic Ternary Polymer Dots Involving Sub-Picosecond Energy and Charge Transfer for Efficient and Stable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Photoredox Catalysis Using Heterogenized Iridium Complexes**
Part of Chemistry - A European Journal, p. 16966-16977, 2021
Roadmap towards solar fuel synthesis at the water interface of liposome membranes dagger
Part of Chemical Society Reviews, p. 4833-4855, 2021
- DOI for Roadmap towards solar fuel synthesis at the water interface of liposome membranes dagger
- Download full text (pdf) of Roadmap towards solar fuel synthesis at the water interface of liposome membranes dagger
Part of ChemSusChem, p. 2902-2913, 2021
Part of European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, p. 1263-1270, 2021
Imidazolium-modification enhances photocatalytic CO2 reduction on ZnSe quantum dots
Part of Chemical Science, p. 9078-9087, 2021
- DOI for Imidazolium-modification enhances photocatalytic CO2 reduction on ZnSe quantum dots
- Download full text (pdf) of Imidazolium-modification enhances photocatalytic CO2 reduction on ZnSe quantum dots
Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Guidelines, Fair and Square
Part of Journal of the American Chemical Society, p. 560-576, 2021
- DOI for Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Guidelines, Fair and Square
- Download full text (pdf) of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Guidelines, Fair and Square
Photoinduced Fano Resonances between Quantum Confined Nanocrystals and Adsorbed Molecular Catalysts
Part of Nano Letters, p. 5813-5818, 2021
Part of ChemPhotoChem, p. 287-290, 2020
Part of ChemSusChem, p. 1844-1855, 2020
Part of ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, p. 31372-31381, 2020
- DOI for Understanding the Performance of NiO Photocathodes with Alkyl-Derivatized Cobalt Catalysts and a Push-Pull Dye
- Download full text (pdf) of Understanding the Performance of NiO Photocathodes with Alkyl-Derivatized Cobalt Catalysts and a Push-Pull Dye
Using Surface Amide Couplings to Assemble Photocathodes for Solar Fuel Production Applications
Part of ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, p. 4501-4509, 2020
Part of Journal of the American Chemical Society, p. 11550-11559, 2020
- DOI for Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer from Tyrosine in the Interior of a de novo Protein: Mechanisms and Primary Proton Acceptor
- Download full text (pdf) of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer from Tyrosine in the Interior of a de novo Protein: Mechanisms and Primary Proton Acceptor
Part of Sustainable Energy & Fuels, p. 3668-3676, 2020
- DOI for From non-innocent to guilty: on the role of redox-active ligands in the electro-assisted reduction of CO2 mediated by a cobalt(ii)-polypyridyl complex
- Download full text (pdf) of From non-innocent to guilty: on the role of redox-active ligands in the electro-assisted reduction of CO2 mediated by a cobalt(ii)-polypyridyl complex
Excited-state proton-coupled electron transfer within ion pairs
Part of Chemical Science, p. 3460-3473, 2020
- DOI for Excited-state proton-coupled electron transfer within ion pairs
- Download full text (pdf) of Excited-state proton-coupled electron transfer within ion pairs
Understanding the Role of Surface States on Mesoporous NiO Films
Part of Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2020
Part of Dalton Transactions, p. 858-865, 2020
- DOI for The reactivity of molecular oxygen and reactive oxygen species with [FeFe] hydrogenase biomimetics: reversibility and the role of the second coordination sphere
- Download full text (pdf) of The reactivity of molecular oxygen and reactive oxygen species with [FeFe] hydrogenase biomimetics: reversibility and the role of the second coordination sphere
Part of Chemical Science, p. 5582-5588, 2019
- DOI for Metal vs. ligand protonation and the alleged proton-shuttling role of the azadithiolate ligand in catalytic H-2 formation with FeFe hydrogenase model complexes
- Download full text (pdf) of Metal vs. ligand protonation and the alleged proton-shuttling role of the azadithiolate ligand in catalytic H-2 formation with FeFe hydrogenase model complexes
Contact
- If you have questions about our research, you are welcome to contact programme professor Leif Hammarström.
- Leif Hammarström