title: Enhanced photocatalytic activity of sprayed Au doped ferric oxide thin films for salicylic acid degradation in aqueous medium.
abstract: Various doping percentage of Au were successfully introduced into the Fe2O3 photocatalysts via a spray pyrolysis method different. The effect of Au doping on photoelectrochemical, structural, optical and morphological properties of these deposited thin films is studied. The PEC characterization shows that, the photocurrent increases gradually with increasing Au content initially up to 2at.% indicating the maximum values of short circuit current (Isc) and open circuit voltage (Voc) are (Isc=90μA and Voc=220.5mV) and then decreases after exceeding the optimal Au doping content. Therefore, the photocurrent of Au doped Fe2O3 photocatalysts can be adjusted by the Au content. Deposited films are polycrystalline with a rhombohedral crystal structure having (104) preferred orientation. SEM and AFM images show deposited thin films are compact and uniform. The photocatalytic activities of the Fe2O3 and Au:Fe2O3 photocatalyst were evaluated by photoelectrocatalytic degradation of salicylic acid under sunlight irradiation. The results show that the Au:Fe2O3 thin film photocatalyst exhibited about 45% more degradation of pollutants than the pure Fe2O3. Thus, in Au doped Fe2O3 photocatalysts, the interaction between Au and Fe2O3 reduces the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers and improve the photocatalytic activity.
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416 004, India.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mahadik
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416 004, India.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shinde
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416 004, India.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kumbhar
authors.affiliation: Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007, India.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Pathan
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416 004, India.
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Rajpure
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416 004, India. Electronic address: chbhosale@gmail.com.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Bhosale
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010782:Photolysis; D012459:Salicylates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013472:Sunlight; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D012459:Salicylates; D014867:Water; C000499:ferric oxide; D006046:Gold