title: Plasmon-induced photodegradation of toxic pollutants with Ag-AgI/Al2O3 under visible-light irradiation.
abstract: A plasmonic photocatalyst Ag-AgI supported on mesoporous alumina (Ag-AgI/Al(2)O(3)) was prepared by deposition-precipitation and photoreduction methods. The catalyst showed high and stable photocatalytic activity for the degradation and mineralization of toxic persistent organic pollutants, as demonstrated with 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), and trichlorophenol (TCP) under visible light or simulated solar light irradiation. On the basis of electron spin resonance, cyclic voltammetry analyses under a variety of experimental conditions, two electron transfer processes were verified from the excited Ag NPs to AgI and from 2-CP to the Ag NPs, and the main active species of O(2)(*-) and excited h(+) on Ag NPs were involved in the photoreaction system of Ag-AgI/Al(2)O(3). A plasmon-induced photocatalytic mechanism was proposed. Accordingly, the plasmon-induced electron transfer processes elucidated the photostability of Ag-AgI/Al(2)O(3). This finding indicates that the high photosensitivity of noble metal NPs due to surface plasmon resonance could be applied toward the development of new plasmonic visible-light-sensitive photocatalysts and photovoltaic fuel cells.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China. huchun@rcees.ac.cn
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Tianwei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Xuexiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yulun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Xuefeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jiuhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He