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Effect of Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Nanotubes/Gold Nanoparticles Composite on the Photocatalytic Activity of TiO 2 and TiO 2 ‐SiO 2
Author(s) -
Chinh Vu Duc,
Hung Le Xuan,
Di Palma Luca,
Hanh Vu Thi Hong,
Vilardi Giorgio
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
chemical engineering and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-4125
pISSN - 0930-7516
DOI - 10.1002/ceat.201800265
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , photocatalysis , materials science , photodegradation , nanocomposite , raman spectroscopy , nanoparticle , chemical engineering , aqueous solution , composite number , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , high resolution transmission electron microscopy , catalysis , nanotechnology , transmission electron microscopy , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , physics , optics
A carbon nanotube (CNT)/gold nanoparticle (NP) nanocomposite was synthesized by simultaneously reducing the Au ions and depositing Au NPs on the surface of a CNT. The functional groups were investigated with Fourier transform infrared spectra. From the Raman spectra, the D‐band and G‐band of the CNT were identified. The deposition of nanometer‐sized Au NPs on the CNT sites was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solutions was studied using various photocatalysts, including TiO 2 , TiO 2 ‐SiO 2 , CNT/TiO 2 , CNT/TiO 2 ‐SiO 2 , Au/TiO 2 , CNT‐Au/TiO 2 , and CNT‐Au/TiO 2 ‐SiO 2 composites. CNT addition leads to a synergic effect, improving the photoactivity of the catalysts. A possible physically based mechanism was proposed involving the reduction of electron‐hole recombination and fast electron‐transfer possibility.