Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5461144 | Journal of Alloys and Compounds | 2017 | 46 Pages |
Abstract
Plasmonic nanoparticles have emerged as a promising material for enhancing catalytical properties of wide-bandgap semiconductors. In this work, we report a well-controllable synthesis of new nanocatalysts based on star-shaped zinc oxide (ZnO) decorated with gold nanoparticles for enhanced decolorization of methylene blue under solar, UV-A and dark conditions. ZnO particles were prepared using precipitation method at room temperature and decorated with Au nanoparticles via a simple photodeposition methodology. Morphology, crystallinity, and optical properties of bare ZnO and hybrid ZnO/Au nanocatalysts were fully characterized by standard analytical techniques. The catalytic properties for decolorizing aqueous methylene blue (MB) solutions of these materials were tested via 3 different methods: photocatalysis using UV-A irradiation, photocatalysis using solar irradiation, and sonocatalysis in dark conditions, under low frequency ultrasound. The results revealed the plasmon-enhanced performance of ZnO/Au nanocatalysts when the system is exposed with solar irradiation, which could be attributed to the efficient charge separation of photogenerated electron/hole pairs, as inferred from PL studies. Finally, it was found that the photocatalysis efficiency is influenced by variations on the [MB]/mcatalyst ratio and the size/concentration of dopping Au nanoparticles.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Metals and Alloys
Authors
George R.S. Andrade, Cristiane C. Nascimento, Elias C. Silva Júnior, Douglas T.S.L. Mendes, Iara F. Gimenez,