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Royal Society of Chemistry, New Journal of Chemistry, 6(39), p. 4708-4715, 2015

DOI: 10.1039/c5nj00556f

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Gold nanoparticles-sensitized wide and narrow band gap TiO2 for visible light applications: A comparative study

This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

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Abstract

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-sensitized wide band gap TiO2 (Au/P-TiO2) and narrow band gap TiO2 (Au/M-TiO2) nanocomposites were prepared using an electrochemically active biofilm. The optical and structural properties of the Au/P-TiO2 and Au/M-TiO2 nanocomposites were characterized using standard techniques. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption characteristics of the AuNPs on the TiO2 surface extended the absorption edge of P-TiO2 and M-TiO2 to the visible light region. The photocatalytic activity of the Au/P-TiO2 and Au/M-TiO2 nanocomposites were evaluated by the photodegradation of methylene blue and methyl orange dyes under visible light irradiation, where Au/M-TiO2 nanocomposites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to the Au/P-TiO2 nanocomposite and P-TiO2 and M-TiO2 nanoparticles. Furthermore, the higher photoelectrochemical performance of the Au/M-TiO2 nanocomposite compared to the Au/P-TiO2 nanocomposite and P-TiO2 and M-TiO2 nanoparticles further support its higher visible light active behavior under visible light irradiation. The pronounced photoactivities of the Au/M-TiO2 nanocomposite in the visible region were attributed to the interfacial synergistic effects of the two phenomena, i.e. the SPR effect of AuNPs and the defect-induced band gap reduction of M-TiO2 nanoparticles. The present work provides a newer insight towards the development of nanocomposites of noble metals and defective metal oxides with high efficiency in the field of visible light-induced photoactivities.