Abstract
Silver and gold nanoparticles were synthesized under environmentally-friendly reaction conditions by using a biodegradable copolymer and water as a solvent. The triblock copolymer Pluronic P103 was utilized as a stabilizing agent or soft template to produce Ag and Au nanoparticles (NPs) of different sizes. Moreover, in the synthesis of Au NPs, the polymer acted as a reducing agent, decreasing the number of reagents used and consequently the residues produced, hence, rendering the procedure less complicated. It was observed that as the concentration of the polymer increased, the size of the metallic NPs augmented as well. However, AgNPs and AuNPs prepared with 1 and 10 wt% Pluronic P103, respectively, showed a significant decrease in particle size due to the presence of polymeric soft templates. The hybrid materials (metal/polymer) were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, DLS, and TEM. The pre-synthesized nanoparticles were employed to decorate anatase-TiO2, and the composites were characterized by DRS, XRD, BET surface area measurements, the TEM technique with the EDS spectrum, and XPS spectroscopy to demonstrate NPs superficial incorporation. Finally, methylene blue was used as a probe molecule to evidence the effect of NPs decoration in its photocatalytic degradation. The results showed that the presence of the NPs positively affected methylene blue degradation, achieving 96% and 97% removal by utilizing TAg0.1 and TAu10, respectively, in comparison to bare anatase-TiO2 (77%).
Highlights
The concept of green chemistry, i.e., green manufacturing, green production, and clean chemistry, sustainable chemistry, was formally established by Paul Anastas and John Warner in the 1990s [1]
It is well known that the incorporation of metallic NPs onto the surface of a semiconductor, as in TiO2, improves its photocatalytic properties
AuNPs synthesis considers only two reagents: an HAuCl4:3H2O solution and a triblock copolymer solution, which act as a reductant and stabilizer
Summary
The concept of green chemistry, i.e., green manufacturing, green production, and clean chemistry, sustainable chemistry, was formally established by Paul Anastas and John Warner in the 1990s [1]. Gao et al [22] synthesized Ag- and Au-decorated TiO2 membranes by two methods: hydrothermal synthesis and photo-reduction These authors showed that metallic NPs enhanced the photo-response of the semiconductor in the visible light region, improving its photocatalytic properties in rhodamine B degradation. They observed that the LSPR effect of AgNPs was stronger than that of AuNPs. Narkburekeau et al [29] degraded rhodamine B using anatase-phase TiO2 with AgNPs deposited on its surface by the chemical reduction method followed by a calcination process, which led to an increase in crystallinity and photocatalytic efficiency. It was shown that decoration of the T2i.OR2essuurlftascaenwdiDthiNscPus siniocnreases the photocatalytic efficiency
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
