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Ag/Ag<sub>2</sub>O as a Co-Catalyst in TiO<sub>2</sub> Photocatalysis: Effect of the Co-Catalyst/Photocatalyst Mass Ratio
oleh: Soukaina Akel, Ralf Dillert, Narmina O. Balayeva, Redouan Boughaled, Julian Koch, Mohammed El Azzouzi, Detlef W. Bahnemann
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2018-12-01 |
Deskripsi
Mixtures and composites of Ag/Ag<sub>2</sub>O and TiO<sub>2</sub> (P25) with varying mass ratios of Ag/Ag<sub>2</sub>O were prepared, employing two methods. Mechanical mixtures (TM) were obtained by the sonication of a suspension containing TiO<sub>2</sub> and Ag/Ag<sub>2</sub>O. Composites (TC) were prepared by a precipitation method employing TiO<sub>2</sub> and AgNO<sub>3</sub>. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the presence of Ag(0) and Ag<sub>2</sub>O. The activity of the materials was determined employing methylene blue (MB) as the probe compound. Bleaching of MB was observed in the presence of all materials. The bleaching rate was found to increase with increasing amounts of TiO<sub>2</sub> under UV/vis light. In contrast, the MB bleaching rate decreased with increasing TiO<sub>2</sub> content upon visible light illumination. XRD and XPS data indicate that Ag<sub>2</sub>O acts as an electron acceptor in the light-induced reaction of MB and is transformed by reduction of Ag<sup>+</sup>, yielding Ag(0). As a second light-induced reaction, the evolution of molecular hydrogen from aqueous methanol was investigated. Significant H<sub>2</sub> evolution rates were only determined in the presence of materials containing more than 50 mass% of TiO<sub>2</sub>. The experimental results suggest that Ag/Ag<sub>2</sub>O is not stable under the experimental conditions. Therefore, to address Ag/Ag<sub>2</sub>O as a (photo)catalytically active material does not seem appropriate.