Effect of Gold Nanoparticles on the Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Performance of Au Modified BiVO4

Mingce Long,Ruqiong Cao,Yan Li,Jingjing Jiang,Liying Zhang,Weimin Cai

doi:10.1007/bf03353669

Mingce Long, Ruqiong Cao + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03353669

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Journal: Nano-Micro Letters	Publication Date: Sep 1, 2011
Citations: 57	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Abstract

Abstract An efficient visible light driven photocatalyst, gold nanoparticles (NPs) modified BiVO4 (Au/BiVO4), has been synthesized by deposition-precipitation with urea method. Au/BiVO4 exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity for phenol degradation under λ>400 nm irradiation but negligible activity under λ>535 nm, indicating that the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect is too weak for organic photodegradation. According to the photoelectrochemical results of the porous powder electrodes of BiVO4 and Au/BiVO4, the SPR effect of Au NPs has been assessed. The role of Au NPs as electron sinks or sources, which is controllable by incident photon energy and applied potentials, has been discussed.

Highlights

Photocatalysis is promising to be an efficient way to convert and utilize solar energy
According to the photoelectrocatalytic tests of fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated glass (FTO)/WO3/BiVO4 electrode modified with Au NPs, Chatchai et al denied the beneficial role of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect for the catalytic activity under visible light irradiation, but only confirmed the promoted charge transfer process after Au NPs deposition [22]
Au modified BiVO4 has been synthesized by deposition precipitation urea method

Summary

Introduction

Photocatalysis is promising to be an efficient way to convert and utilize solar energy. The charge transfer of photoexcited SPR electrons from the gold NPs to the conduction band of TiO2 has been observed indirectly by plasmon-induced photoelectrochemistry [12,13,14] or directly by the femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy [15]. According to the photoelectrocatalytic tests of FTO/WO3/BiVO4 electrode modified with Au NPs, Chatchai et al denied the beneficial role of SPR effect for the catalytic activity under visible light irradiation, but only confirmed the promoted charge transfer process after Au NPs deposition [22].

Results

Conclusion