title: Silver quantum cluster (ag9 )-grafted graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets for photocatalytic hydrogen generation and dye degradation.
abstract: We report the visible-light photocatalytic properties of a composite system consisting of silver quantum clusters [Ag9 (H2 MSA)7 ] (H2 MSA=mercaptosuccinic acid) embedded on graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (AgQCs-GCN). The composites were prepared through a simple chemical route; their structural, chemical, morphological, and optical properties were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Embedment of [Ag9 (H2 MSA)7 ] on graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (GCN) resulted in extended visible-light absorption through multiple single-electron transitions in Ag quantum clusters and an effective electronic structure for hydroxyl radical generation, which enabled increased activity in the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange dye molecules compared with pristine GCN and silver nanoparticle-grafted GCN (AgNPs-GCN). Similarly, the amount of hydrogen generated by using AgQCs-GCN was 1.7 times higher than pristine GCN. However, the rate of hydrogen generated using AgQCs-GCN was slightly less than that of AgNPs-GCN because of surface hydroxyl radical formation. The plausible photocatalytic processes are discussed in detail.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 426-791 (Republic of Korea).
authors.forename: Kishore
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sridharan
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 426-791 (Republic of Korea).|Department of Advanced Materials Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 426-791 (Republic of Korea).
authors.forename: Eunyong
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 426-791 (Republic of Korea).
authors.forename: Jung Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 426-791 (Republic of Korea). kjh75@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jong-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 426-791 (Republic of Korea). jungho@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jung-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 426-791 (Republic of Korea). tjp@hanyang.ac.kr.|Department of Advanced Materials Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 426-791 (Republic of Korea). tjp@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Tae Joo
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: UV/Vis spectroscopy; dyes; hydrogen; nanosheets; quantum clusters; silver