Direct Photoconversion of Pyruvate to Lactate in Aqueous TiO2 Dispersions

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j100287a031

Pyruvate is efficiently converted to lactate under illumination of aqueous suspensions of titanium dioxide powder.This photoconversion does not require additional catalysts and its efficiency depends on the pH and the electron donor present in solution.Other keto carboxylic acids can also be photoreduced by the same process.The kinetics of reduction has been studied by monitoring the interfacial electron transfer occuring at the surface of colloidal TiO2 semiconducting particles using laser photolysis.