Led-driven photodeposition of Pt nanoparticles on TiO2: Combined effects of titania crystallinity and adopted wavelength on photoactivity

Abstract

Amidst the ongoing LED technology-driven energy revolution, it’s crucial to re-examine how certain processes work. For this purpose, the present study dives into a new way of depositing platinum nanoparticles onto titania via photodeposition using LED light, carefully controlling the process by irradiating with different wavelength. This novel approach has helped us to understand how the chosen wavelength may affect the properties of the synthesized materials, especially in relation to the shape of photodeposited nanoparticles. Moreover, the photodeposition method herein presented was proven to allow the nucleation and growth of Pt over amorphous titania effectively expanding the application range of photodeposition. Importantly, the prepared samples were found to be highly effective at photocatalytically breaking down recalcitrant pharmaceutical drugs such as naproxen. This research significantly contributes to our understanding of how these materials can be used for technological applications such as photocatalysis, making it a noteworthy addition to the field.