title: Dithiol-mediated immobilization of CdS nanoparticles from reverse micellar system onto Zn-doped silica particles and their high photocatalytic activity.
abstract: Cds nanoparticles, prepared in a reverse micellar system, were immobilized directly onto alkanedithiol-modified Zn-doped silica particles, which were themselves prepared via hydrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate in the presence of Zn(NO(3))(2) followed by contact with dithiol molecules. The resulting CdS-Zn-SiO(2) composite was then used as a photocatalyst for the generation of H(2) from 2-propanol aqueous solution. Under UV irradiation (lambda>300 nm), a high photocatalytic activity was observed for the CdS-Zn-SiO(2) composite material. This is effected by electron transfer from the photoexcited ZnS (dithiol-bonded Zn on SiO(2)) to CdS nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity is increased with a decrease in the number of methylene groups in the dithiol molecules, according to the rank order 1,10-decanedithiol <1,6-hexanedithiol <1,2-ethanedithiol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, and Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, 560-8531, Japan. hirai@cheng.es.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nanba
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Komasawa