ABSTRACT
Au nanoparticles were covered by Cu2O nanoparticles shell and then Au@Cu2O stellated polytope was synthesized by a facile aqueous solution approach. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction patterns, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunner-Emmet-Teller measurements, and Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy analysis. With good aqueous dispersibility, surface positive charge, and high chemisorption capacity, Au@Cu2O could be used for anionic dyes removal. Compared with Degussa P25-TiO2, the adsorption of anionic dyes (acid violet 43 or methyl blue, 5.0 mg L(-1)) onto Au@Cu2O was increased by 90.12% and 50.8%, respectively. The photodegradation activity of methyl orange and methyl violet were in the declining order: Au@Cu2O>Cu2O-Au nanocomposites>Cu2O>P25-TiO2. The synergistic effect of coupling Au core with Cu2O shell on the dyes photodegradation was observed. The photoexcited electrons from Cu2O conduction band could be captured by Au nanoparticles, resulting in an improved electron-hole separation. Moreover, a Schottky barrier was assumed to form at the Cu2O-Au interface and Au NPs as electron sink could reduce the recombination of photoinduced electrons and holes, facilitating the photocatalytic interface reaction. The geometry of core-shell and stellated polytope is effective in the design of Cu2O-Au nanocomposites for adsorption and photocatalysis.
ABSTRACT
A novel approach for the fabrication of double-shelled, sandwiched, and nanostructured hollow spheres was proposed, using hydrotherm reaction and calcination. The negatively charged nanoparticles (e.g., Au, Ag, and Pt) could be adsorbed successively onto the positively charged hollow spheres (e.g., TiO2, ZnO, and ZrO2). The resulted nanocomposites (TiO2@Au, as a proof-of-concept) were dispersed in glucose solution under hydrothermal conditions. After calcination, uniform double-shelled and sandwiched TiO2@Au@C hollow spheres were obtained and Au nanoparticles were sandwiched between the shell wall of TiO2 and C. The samples were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, BET, and UV-vis DRS. The photocatalytic activity for the degradation of 4-nitroaniline was in the order of TiO2@Au@C > TiO2@C > TiO2/Au > P25. The visible-light photodegradation rate of 92.65% for 4-nitroaniline was achieved by TiO2@Au@C, which exhibited an increase of 75% compared to Degussa P25 TiO2. Furthermore, no deactivation occurred during catalytic reaction for three times, i.e., the TiO2@Au@C microspheres exhibited superior photocatalytic stability. TiO2@Au@C microspheres could also enhance the photocatalytic activity for hydrogen generation from methanol/water solutions. The synergistic effect of coupling TiO2 hollow spheres with Au nanoparticles and C shell on photocatalytic performance was proved by us. The photoexcited electrons from Au nanoparticles could be captured by the conduction band of TiO2 and then the electron-hole separation was improved. Moreover, both the visible light absorption and the affinity between TiO2 and pollutants could be improved by the coexistence of carbonaceous materials, which could facilitate the photocatalytic interface reaction.
