Abstract
In this study, gold dendritic nanoforests (Au DNFs)-titanium nitride (TiN) composite was firstly proposed for visible-light photodegradation of pollutants. A high-power impulse magnetron sputtering system was used to coat TiN films on silicon wafers, and a fluoride-assisted galvanic replacement reaction was applied to deposit Au DNFs on TiN/Si substrates. Scanning electron microscope images and X-ray diffraction patterns of TiN/Si, Au DNFs/Si, and Au DNFs/TiN/Si samples verified that this synthesis process was accurately controlled. The average reflectance of Au DNFs/Si and Au DNFs/TiN/Si considerably declined to approximately 10%, because the broadband localized surface plasmon resonances of Au DNFs cause broadband absorbance and low reflectance. In photocatalytic performance, 90.66 ± 1.41% 4-nitrophenol was successfully degraded in 180 min by Au DNFs/TiN/Si under visible-light irradiation. Therefore, Au DNFs/TiN/Si has the chance to be a visible-light photocatalyst for photodegradation of pollutants.
Highlights
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most widely used photocatalyst in the photodegradation of pollutants because of its strong oxidizing abilities, chemical stability, nontoxicity, and low cost [1]
TiO2 is widely used as a benchmark for other photocatalysts, TiO2 only absorbs the ultraviolet (UV) region of the solar spectrum; this limited absorption is an obstacle to the wide application of TiO2 for the photodegradation of pollutants [2]
Gold nanoparticles and nanostructures exhibit characteristic optical properties because of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), which are dependent on the sizes and shapes of nanomaterials [18]
Summary
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most widely used photocatalyst in the photodegradation of pollutants because of its strong oxidizing abilities, chemical stability, nontoxicity, and low cost [1]. TiN has particular optical and metallic properties and possesses potentially resonant plasmon characteristics in the visible spectrum [9,10,11]. A study demonstrated that TiN can exhibit electromagnetic field enhancements comparable to those of gold (Au) nanostructures [12]. Few studies have been published regarding gold nanostructure/TiN composite materials for applications. Gold nanoparticles and nanostructures exhibit characteristic optical properties because of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), which are dependent on the sizes and shapes of nanomaterials [18]. Gold dendritic nanoforests (Au DNFs) have attracted considerable attention due to their noteworthy specific surface area and strong LSPR enhancement for wide wavelengths [19]. Au DNF/TiN/Si composite samples were applied to photocatalytically degrade organic dyes under visible-light illumination
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