Directing the mechanism of CO reduction by a Mn catalyst through surface immobilization.

Immobilization of a Mn polypyridyl CO reduction electrocatalyst on nanocrystalline TiO electrodes yields an active heterogeneous system and also significantly triggers a change in voltammetric and catalytic behaviour, relative to in solution. A combination of spectroelectrochemical techniques are presented here to elucidate the mechanism of the immobilized catalyst in situ.