title: Synergistic effect of interfacial lattice Ag(+) and Ag(0) clusters in enhancing the photocatalytic performance of TiO2.
abstract: An interfacial lattice Ag(+) doped on TiO2 (Ag(+)/TiO2) was prepared by eluting Ag(0) clusters from a hydrothermally prepared Ag(0)/Ag(+)/TiO2 composite. An Ag(+)/TiO2@Ag(0) composite photocatalyst was subsequently obtained via a secondary Ag(0) clusters loading process to the Ag(+)/TiO2. The photocatalytic activity of Ag(+)/TiO2@Ag(0) was greatly improved compared to Ag(0)/Ag(+)/TiO2 and Ag(+)/TiO2. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) testing verified that Ag(+) ions occur as an interfacial lattice Ag(+) species in the composites. The enhancement effect of the interfacial lattice Ag(+) species is exhibited by the newly-formed Ag(+)/TiO2@Ag(0) as the interfacial lattice Ag(+) is fully exposed but not overlapped with the re-loaded Ag(0) clusters. The interfacial lattice Ag(+) ions and Ag(0) clusters are both responsible for the photocatalytic performance improvement of the catalyst, in either the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange or photocurrent measurement.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China. fengchen@ecust.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Dandan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lufei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ming
authors.forename: Yanchao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen