Cubic-shape hematite decorated with plasmonic Ag-Au bimetals for enhanced photocatalysis under visible light irradiation. (25th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Park, Soo Hyun; Jung, Won-Sik; Kadam, Abhijit N; Lee, Sang-Wha
• Is Part Of: Materials research express. Volume 7:Number 9(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-09-25
• Subjects: cubic-shape -- hematite -- plasmonic -- Au-Ag bimetal -- visible light; Materials science -- Research -- Periodicals; Materials science -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1088/2053-1591/abb90c
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2053-1591

Abstract

Abstract: Cubic-shape hematite (C-Fe2 O3 ) was facilely prepared by hydrothermal autoclave reaction of Fe 3+ in the presence of 1, 12-diaminododecane at 130 °C for 10 h. The surface of C-Fe2 O3 was decorated with nanosilvers through the sonochemical reduction of Ag precursor (0.1–0.4 ml of 1.0 wt.% AgNO3 ), so-called C-Fe2 O3 @Ag. After then, the C-Fe2 O3 @Ag was plated with Au layer via galvanic-assisted reduction of Au precursor (0.04–0.14 ml of 1.0 wt.% HAuCl4 ), so-called C-Fe2 O3 @Ag-Au. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the formation of cubic-shape hematite deposited with plasmonic nanometals. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed the existence of Ag and Au crystals. Photocatalytic performance of the hematite samples was estimated towards the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light. The C-Fe2 O3 @Ag (0.2 ml) exhibited the five-fold increase of photocatalytic activity to that of the pristine C-Fe2 O3 . Furthermore, Au-deposited C-Fe2 O3 @Ag (0.2 ml), i.e., C-Fe2 O3 @Ag-Au, exhibited the 200% increase of photocatalytic activity to that of the C-Fe2 O3 @Ag (0.2 ml), owing to the plasmonic coupling effect on the extended visible light absorbance and enhanced separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs on the hematite surface.