Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T11:18:59.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Plasmonic Ag@SiO2 core/shell structure modified g-C3N4 with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2013

Jie Chen
Affiliation:
International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, China
Shaohua Shen*
Affiliation:
International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, China
Penghui Guo*
Affiliation:
International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, China
Meng Wang
Affiliation:
International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, China
Jinzhan Su
Affiliation:
International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, China
Daming Zhao
Affiliation:
International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, China
Liejin Guo*
Affiliation:
International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, China
*
a)Address all correspondence to these authors. e-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

High rate of charge carrier recombination is a critical factor limiting the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4. In this contribution, we demonstrate that this issue can be alleviated by constructing a plasmonic photocatalyst with tailored plasmonic-metal nanostructures, i.e., core–shell-typed Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles. Compared with pure g-C3N4, the photocatalytic hydrogen production activity was enhanced by 63% for Ag@SiO2/g-C3N4. As analysis from the photoluminescence results, the enhancement could be attributed to that plasmonic nanostructures favored the separation of electron–hole pairs in the semiconductor due to localized surface plasmons resonance effect. It was found that the silica shell between the Ag nanoparticles and g-C3N4 was essential for the better photocatalytic activity of Ag@SiO2/g-C3N4 than that of Ag/g-C3N4 by limiting the energy-loss Förster energy transfer process.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Chen, X-B., Shen, S-H., Guo, L-J., and Mao, S-S.: Semiconductor-based photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Chem. Rev. 110, 6503 (2010).Google Scholar
Shen, S-H., Shi, J-W., Guo, P-H., and Guo, L-J.: Visible-light-driven photocatalytic water splitting on nanostructured semiconducting materials. Int. J. Nanotechnol. 8, 525 (2011).Google Scholar
Shi, J-W. and Guo, L-J.: ABO3-based photocatalysts for water splitting. Prog. Nat. Sci. Mater. Int. 22, 592 (2012).Google Scholar
Osterloh, F.E.: Inorganic materials as catalysts for photochemical splitting of water. Chem. Mater. 20, 36 (2007).Google Scholar
Zhang, L.: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Through Nanotechnology (Springer, London, 2011), pp. 487, 529.Google Scholar
Maeda, K. and Domen, K.: Oxynitride materials for solar water splitting. MRS Bull. 36, 25 (2011).Google Scholar
Wang, X-C., Maeda, K., Thomas, A., Takanabe, K., Xin, G., Carlsson, J.M., Domen, K., and Antonietti, M.: A metal-free polymeric photocatalyst for hydrogen production from water under visible light. Nat. Mater. 8, 77 (2008).Google ScholarPubMed
Wang, X-C., Blechert, S., and Antonietti, M.: Polymeric graphitic carbon nitride for heterogeneous photocatalysis. ACS Catal. 2, 1596 (2012).Google Scholar
Wang, Y., Bai, X., Pan, C., He, J., and Zhu, Y.: Enhancement of photocatalytic activity of Bi2WO6 hybridized with graphite-like C3N4 . J. Mater. Chem. 22, 11568 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kang, H-W., Lim, S-N., Song, D., and Park, S-B.: Organic-inorganic composite of g-C3N4―SrTiO3: Rh photocatalyst for improved H2 evolution under visible light irradiation. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 37, 11602 (2012).Google Scholar
Sun, L., Zhao, X., Jia, C-J., Zhou, Y., Cheng, X., Li, P., Liu, L., and Fan, W-L.: Enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4–ZnWO4 by fabricating a heterojunction: Investigation based on experimental and theoretical studies. J. Mater. Chem. 22, 23428 (2012).Google Scholar
Ge, L., Han, C., and Liu, J.: Novel visible light-induced g-C3N4/Bi2WO6 composite photocatalysts for efficient degradation of methyl orange. Appl. Catal., B. 108109, 100 (2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, X., Wang, Q., and Cui, D.: Preparation and photocatalytic properties of g-C3N4/TiO2 hybrid composite. J. Mater. Sci. Technol. 26, 925 (2010).Google Scholar
Yan, H. and Yang, H.: TiO2/g-C3N4 composite materials for photocatalytic H2 evolution under visible light irradiation. J. Alloys Compd. 509, 26 (2011).Google Scholar
Wang, Y., Shi, R., Lin, J., and Zhu, Y.: Enhancement of photocurrent and photocatalytic activity of ZnO hybridized with graphite-like C3N4 . Energy Environ. Sci. 4, 2922 (2011).Google Scholar
Sun, J-X., Yuan, Y-P., Qiu, L-G., Jiang, X., Xie, A-J., Shen, Y-H., and Zhu, J-F.: Fabrication of composite photocatalyst g-C3N4–ZnO and enhancement of photocatalytic activity under visible light. Dalton Trans. 41, 6756 (2012).Google Scholar
Yan, S-C., Lv, S-B., Li, Z-S., and Zou, Z-G.: Organic–inorganic composite photocatalyst of g-C3N4 and TaON with improved visible light photocatalytic activities. Dalton Trans. 39, 1488 (2010).Google Scholar
Zhang, J., Zhang, M., Sun, R-Q., and Wang, X-C.: A facile band alignment of polymeric carbon nitride semiconductors to construct isotype heterojunctions. Angew. Chem. 124, 10292 (2012).Google Scholar
Di, Y., Wang, X-C., Thomas, A., and Antonietti, M.: Making metal-carbon nitride heterojunctions for improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution with visible light. ChemCatChem 2, 834 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maeda, K., Wang, X-C., Nishihara, Y., Lu, D., Antonietti, M., and Domen, K.: Photocatalytic activities of graphitic carbon nitride powder for water reduction and oxidation under visible light. J. Phys. Chem. C. 113, 4940 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, P., Huang, B., Qin, X., Zhang, X., Dai, Y., Wei, J., and Whangbo, M-H.: : a highly efficient and stable photocatalyst active under visible light. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 47, 7931 (2008).Google Scholar
Wang, P., Huang, B., Zhang, X., Qin, X., Dai, Y., Wang, Z., and Lou, Z.: Highly efficient visible light plasmonic photocatalysts Ag@Ag(Cl,Br) and Ag@AgCl-AgI. ChemCatChem 3, 360 (2011).Google Scholar
Zhang, Q., Lima, D-Q., Lee, I., Zaera, F., Chi, M., and Yin, Y.: A highly active titanium dioxide based visible-light photocatalyst with nonmetal doping and plasmonic metal decoration. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 123, 7226 (2011).Google Scholar
Awazu, K., Fujimaki, M., Rockstuhl, C., Tominaga, J., Murakami, H., Ohki, Y., Yoshida, N., and Watanabe, T.: A plasmonic photocatalyst consisting of silver nanoparticles embedded in titanium dioxide. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 1676 (2008).Google Scholar
Ingram, D.B. and Linic, S.: Water splitting on composite plasmonic-metal/semiconductor photoelectrodes: Evidence for selective plasmon-induced formation of charge carriers near the semiconductor surface. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 5202 (2011).Google Scholar
Silvert, P.Y., Herrera-Urbina, R., and Tekaia-Elhsissen, K.: Preparation of colloidal silver dispersions by the polyolprocess. J. Mater. Chem. 7, 293 (1997).Google Scholar
Gao, T., Jelle, B.P., and Gustavsen, A.: Core–shell-typed Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles as solar selective coating materials. J. Nanopart. Res. 15, 1 (2013).Google Scholar
Kim, D., Jeong, S., and Moon, J.: Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using the polyol process and the influence of precursor injection. Nanotechnology 17, 4019 (2006).Google Scholar
Graf, C., Vossen, D.L., Imhof, A., and van Blaaderen, A.: A general method to coat colloidal particles with silica. Langmuir 19, 6693 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warren, S.C. and Thimsen, E.: Plasmonic solar water splitting. Energy Environ. Sci. 5, 5133 (2012).Google Scholar
Xu, W., Liu, X., Ren, J., Zhang, P., Wang, Y., Guo, Y-G., Guo, Y., and Lu, G.: A novel mesoporous Pd/cobalt aluminate bifunctional catalyst for aldol condensation and following hydrogenation. Catal. Commun. 11, 721 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhao, Z., Lin, X., Jin, R., Dai, Y., and Wang, G.: High catalytic activity in CO PROX reaction of low cobalt-oxide loading catalysts supported on nano-particulate CeO2–ZrO2 oxides. Catal. Commun. 12, 1448 (2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiley, B.J., Im, S.H., Li, Z-Y., McLellan, J., Siekkinen, A., and Xia, Y-N.: Maneuvering the surface plasmon resonance of silver nanostructures through shape-controlled synthesis. J. Phys. Chem. B. 110, 15666 (2006).Google Scholar
Linic, S., Christopher, P., and Ingram, D.B.: Plasmonic-metal nanostructures for efficient conversion of solar to chemical energy. Nat. Mater. 10, 911 (2011).Google Scholar
Niu, P., Zhang, L., Liu, G., and Cheng, H-M.: Graphene-like carbon nitride nanosheets for improved photocatalytic activities. Adv. Funct. Mater. 22, 4763 (2012).Google Scholar
Barman, S. and Sadhukhan, M.: Facile bulk production of highly blue fluorescent graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots and their application as highly selective and sensitive sensors for the detection of mercuric and iodide ions in aqueous media. J. Mater. Chem. 22, 21832 (2012).Google Scholar
Lakowicz, J.R.: Principles of Fluorescence Spectroscopy (Springer, London, 2009).Google Scholar
Meng, Y., Shen, J., Chen, D., and Xin, G.: Photodegradation performance of methylene blue aqueous solution on Ag/g-C3N4 catalyst. Rare Met. 30, 276 (2011).Google Scholar