Cu and Ag modified mesoporous TiO[formula omitted] nanocuboids for visible light driven photocatalysis

Abstract

Visible light driven photocatalysis by Cu and Ag incorporated mesoporous titania nanocuboids is monitored in this work. The mesoprous titania is obtained by using non-ionic triblock copolymer P123 as the structure-directing agent, which yields self-organized meso structured titania nanocuboids. The catalysts are well characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM, N2 adsorption study, DR-UV, FTIR, photoluminescence, Raman and X-ray Photoelectron Spectral analysis. The co-exposed 101 and 001 planes of cuboids are observed to be favourable for the photo catalytic activity of anatase titania. Both CuO and Cu2O are identified in Cu doped titania, while silver in zero oxidation state is observed in Ag modified system. The absorbance of the parent titania is extended to visible region by the incorporation of these co-catalysts, and the visible light driven photocatalytic efficiency of the system is commendably improved, as confirmed by methylene blue and phenol degradations and hydrogen production through water splitting. The copper doped mesoporous assembled titania nanostructures promised itself to be the best candidate among the series, which excelled almost all other TiO2 based systems that operated under identical conditions.