The impact of semiconductors on the concepts of electrochemistry

Abstract The study and kinetic interpretation of electrode reactions was, from the early years of electrochemistry, dominated by processes occurring at electrodes with metallic conductivity. Only since the late 1950s and early 1960s has it been realized that semiconductor electrodes behave differently in many respects and offer new insights into the role played by the electronic properties of a solid in its electrochemical reactivity. The investigation of semiconductor electrodes has intensified the link between electrochemistry and solid state physics, has created a close connection to photochemistry and has profoundly improved the understanding of interfacial reactions. Selected examples are presented in this lecture.