Role of micro-structure and interfacial properties in the higher photocatalytic activity of TiO2-supported nanogold for methanol-assisted visible-light-induced splitting of water.

ABSTRACT

This paper deals with the textural, microstructural and interfacial properties of Au/TiO(2) nanocomposites, in relation to their photocatalytic activity for splitting of water. TiO(2) samples of two different morphologies were employed for dispersing different cocatalysts, such as Au, Pt, Ag or Cu, for the sake of comparison. The samples were characterized using powder XRD, XPS, UV-visible, thermoluminescence, SEM, HRTEM and SAED techniques. Compared to other metal/TiO(2) photocatalysts, Au/TiO(2) with an optimum gold loading of 1 wt% was found to exhibit considerably higher activity for visible light induced production of H(2) from splitting water in the presence of methanol. Further, the sol-gel prepared TiO(2) (s.TiO(2)), having spherical grains of 10-15 nm size, displayed better photoactivity than a Degussa P25 catalyst. The electron microscopy investigations on s.TiO(2) revealed significant heterogeneity in grain morphology of individual TiO(2) particles, exposure of the lattice planes, metal dispersion, and the interfacial metal/TiO(2) contacts. The gold particles were found to be in a better dispersed state. O(2) TPD experiments revealed that the gold nanoparticles and Au/TiO(2) interfaces may serve as distinct binding sites for adsorbate molecules. At the same time, our thermoluminescence measurements provide an insight into Au-induced new defect states that may facilitate the semiconductor-to-metal charge transfer transition. In conclusion, the superior photocatalytic activity of Au/TiO(2) may relate to the grain morphology of TiO(2), dispersion of gold particles, and the peculiar architecture of metal/oxide heterojunctions; giving rise in turn to augmented adsorption of reactant molecules and their interaction with the photo-generated e(-)/h(+) pair. The role played by methanol as a sacrificial reagent in photocatalytic splitting of water is discussed.