Modification of TiO2by Bimetallic Au-Cu Nanoparticles for Wastewater Treatment.
Au, Cu and bimetallic Au-Cu nanoparticles were synthesized on the surface of commercial TiO2compounds (P25) by reduction of the metal precursors with tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride (THPC) (0.5 % in weight). The alloyed structure of Au-Cu NPs was confirmed by HAADF-STEM, EDS, HRTEM and XPS techniques. The photocatalytic properties of the modified TiO2have been studied for phenol photodegradation in aqueous suspensions under UV-visible irradiation. The modification by the metal nanoparticles induces an increase in the photocatalytic activity. The highest photocatalytic activity is obtained with Au-Cu/TiO2(Au/Cu 1:3). Their electronic properties have been studied by time resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) to follow the charge-carrier dynamics. TRMC measurements show that the TiO2modification with Au, Cu and Au-Cu nanoparticles plays a role in charge-carrier separations increasing the activity under UV-light. Indeed, the metal nanoparticles act as a sink for electron, decreasing the charge carrier recombination. The TRMC measurements show also that the bimetallic Au-Cu nanoparticles are more efficient in electron scavenging than the monometallic Au and Cu ones.
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China; Laboratoire de Chimie Physique, CNRS-Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8000 CNRS, Bât. 349, 91405 Orsay, France.
Zibin
Z
Hai
Laboratoire de Chimie Physique, CNRS-Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8000 CNRS, Bât. 349, 91405 Orsay, France.
Nadia El
NE
Kolli
Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA.
Daniel Bahena
DB
Uribe
Laboratoire de Réactivité de Surface, UPMC Université Paris 6, UMR 7197-CNRS, 3 rue Galilée, 94200 Ivry, France.
Patricia
P
Beaunier
Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA.
Miguel
M
José-Yacaman
Institut Lavoisier de Versailles, CNRS UMR 8180, 45 Avenue des Etats Unis, 78035 Versailles, France.
Jackie
J
Vigneron
Institut Lavoisier de Versailles, CNRS UMR 8180, 45 Avenue des Etats Unis, 78035 Versailles, France.
Arnaud
A
Etcheberry
Laboratoire de Chimie Physique, CNRS-Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8000 CNRS, Bât. 349, 91405 Orsay, France.
Sébastien
S
Sorgues
Laboratoire de Chimie Physique, CNRS-Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8000 CNRS, Bât. 349, 91405 Orsay, France.
Christophe
C
Colbeau-Justin
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China.
Jiafu
J
Chen
Laboratoire de Chimie Physique, CNRS-Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8000 CNRS, Bât. 349, 91405 Orsay, France.
Hynd
H
Remita