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Chinnabathini VC, Dingenen F, Borah R, Abbas I, van der Tol J, Zarkua Z, D'Acapito F, Nguyen THT, Lievens P, Grandjean D, Verbruggen SW, Janssens E. Gas phase deposition of well-defined bimetallic gold-silver clusters for photocatalytic applications. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:6696-6708. [PMID: 36938628 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr07287d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cluster beam deposition is employed for fabricating well-defined bimetallic plasmonic photocatalysts to enhance their activity while facilitating a more fundamental understanding of their properties. AuxAg1-x clusters with compositions (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 and 1) spanning the metals' miscibility range were produced in the gas-phase and soft-landed on TiO2 P25-coated silicon wafers with an optimal coverage of 4 atomic monolayer equivalents. Electron microscopy images show that at this coverage most clusters remain well dispersed whereas EXAFS data are in agreement with the finding that the deposited clusters have an average size of ca. 5 nm and feature the same composition as the ablated alloy targets. A composition-dependant electron transfer from Au to Ag that is likely to impart chemical stability to the bimetallic clusters and protect Ag atoms against oxidation is additionally evidenced by XPS and XANES. Under simulated solar light, AuxAg1-x clusters show a remarkable composition-dependent volcano-type enhancement of their photocatalytic activity towards degradation of stearic acid, a model compound for organic fouling on surfaces. The Formal Quantum Efficiency (FQE) is peaking at the Au0.3Ag0.7 composition with a value that is twice as high as that of the pristine TiO2 P25 under solar simulator. Under UV the FQE of all compositions remains similar to that of pristine TiO2. A classical electromagnetic simulation study confirms that among all compositions Au0.3Ag0.7 features the largest near-field enhancement in the wavelength range of maximal solar light intensity, as well as sufficient individual photon energy resulting in a better photocatalytic self-cleaning activity. This allows ascribing the mechanism for photocatalysis mostly to the plasmonic effect of the bimetallic clusters through direct electron injection and near-field enhancement from the resonant cluster towards the conduction band of TiO2. These results not only demonstrate the added value of using well-defined bimetallic nanocatalysts to enhance their photocatalytic activity but also highlights the potential of the cluster beam deposition to design tailored noble metal modified photocatalytic surfaces with controlled compositions and sizes without involving potentially hazardous chemical agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vana Chinnappa Chinnabathini
- Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium.
- Sustainable Energy, Air & Water Technology (DuEL), University of Antwerp, Belgium
- NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerpen, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Fons Dingenen
- Sustainable Energy, Air & Water Technology (DuEL), University of Antwerp, Belgium
- NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerpen, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Rituraj Borah
- Sustainable Energy, Air & Water Technology (DuEL), University of Antwerp, Belgium
- NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerpen, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Imran Abbas
- Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Johan van der Tol
- Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Zviadi Zarkua
- Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | | | - Thi Hong Trang Nguyen
- Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Peter Lievens
- Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Didier Grandjean
- Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Sammy W Verbruggen
- Sustainable Energy, Air & Water Technology (DuEL), University of Antwerp, Belgium
- NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerpen, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Ewald Janssens
- Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium.
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Mondal K, Sharma A. Recent advances in the synthesis and application of photocatalytic metal–metal oxide core–shell nanoparticles for environmental remediation and their recycling process. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra18102c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Metal–metal oxide core–shell nanoparticles have received enormous research attention owing to their fascinating physicochemical properties and extensive applications. In this review we have discussed the challenges and recent advances in their synthesis and application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunal Mondal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- North Carolina State University
- Raleigh
- USA
| | - Ashutosh Sharma
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
- Kanpur-208016
- India
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