Hot electron chemistry in catalytic reactions

Catalysis is more active when the system is moved to a beneficial energy landscape through electron transfer between the catalyst surface and a reaction intermediate. Charge transfer in a metal on oxide system, which is the main component of industrial catalysts, plays a crucial role since it leads to the enhancement of catalytic performance. This knowledge serves as the foundation for discussing electron transfer at metal-oxide junctions as a separate subject. In this review, we highlight recent progress in the detection of hot electrons excited in various catalytic reactions using 'hot electron detectors' and discuss the correlation between electron transfer and reactivity. A catalytic nanodiode must be coupled with metal-oxide heterogeneous catalysts to study the surface dynamics of hot electrons on metal surfaces.