The Syntheses, Characterizations, and Photocatalytic
Activities of Silver, Platinum, and Gold Doped TiO2
Nanoparticles |
Kumaresan Loganathan, Palanisamy Bommusamy, Palanichamy Muthaiahpillai, and Murugesan Velayutham† |
Department of Chemistry, Anna University, Chennai 600-025, India |
Corresponding Author:
Murugesan Velayutham ,Tel: +91-44-22357023/2235, Fax: +91-44-2220066/22201, Email: v_murugu@hotmail.com |
Received: June 13, 2010; Accepted: April 25, 2011. |
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ABSTRACT |
Different weight percentages of Ag, Pt, and Au doped nano TiO2 were synthesized using the acetic acid hydrolyzed sol-gel method.
The crystallite phase, surface morphology combined with elemental composition and light absorption properties of the doped nano
TiO2 were comprehensively examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 sorption analysis, transmission electron microscopic (TEM),
energy dispersive X-ray, and DRS UV-vis analysis. The doping of noble metals stabilized the anatase phase, without conversion to rutile
phase. The formation of gold nano particles in Au doped nano TiO2 was confirmed from the XRD patterns for gold. The specific surface
area was found to be in the range 50 to 85 m2/g. TEM images confirmed the formation a hexagonal plate like morphology of nano TiO2.
The photocatalytic activity of doped nano TiO2 was evaluated using 4-chlorophenol as the model pollutant. Au doped (0.5 wt %) nano
TiO2 was found to exhibit higher photocatalytic activity than the other noble metal doped nano TiO2, pure nano TiO2 and commercial
TiO2 (Degussa P-25). This enhanced photocatalytic activity was due to the cathodic influence of gold in suppressing the electron-hole
recombination during the reaction. |
Keywords:
4-chlorophenol | Hexagonal plate | Noble metal doped TiO2 | Photocatalytic activity | Sol-gel |
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