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Charge Separation and Catalytic Activity of Fe 3 O 4 @Ag “Nanospheres”
Author(s) -
Hemmateenejad Bahram,
Shamsipur Mojtaba,
Jalili–Jahani Naser
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/php.12534
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , materials science , surface plasmon resonance , photochemistry , adsorption , schottky barrier , thionine , electron acceptor , redox , nanoparticle , catalysis , band gap , analytical chemistry (journal) , nanotechnology , chemistry , optoelectronics , electrode , diode , metallurgy , electrochemistry , chromatography , biochemistry
Nanospheres of Ag‐coated Fe 3 O 4 were successfully synthesized and characterized. Photocatalytic properties of Fe 3 O 4 @Ag composites have been investigated using steady‐state studies and laser pulse excitations. Accumulation of the electrons in the Ag shell was detected from the shift in the surface plasmon band from 430 to 405 nm, which was discharged when an electron acceptor such as O 2 , Thionine ( TH ) or C 60 was introduced into the system. Charge equilibration with redox couple such as C 60 ●– /C 60 indicated the ability of these core–shell structures to carry out photocatalytic reduction reactions. As well, outer Ag layer could boost charge separation in magnetic core through dual effects of Schottky junction and localized surface plasmonic resonance ( LSPR )‐powered band gap breaking effect under sunlight irradiation; resulted in higher photocatalytic degradation of diphenylamine ( DPA ). The maximum photocatalytic degradation rate was achieved at optimum amount of Ag‐ NP loading to products. Adsorption studies confirmed that degradation of DPA dominantly occurred in solution. Moderately renewability of the nanocatalysts under sunlight was due to oxidation and dissolution of the outer Ag layer.