Promoting Photocatalytic Performance of ZnO Particles by Photochemically Reducing Ag+ on the Particle Surfaces |
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| Authors: | Hsuan-Fu Yu Dong-Wei Qian |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Ceramic Materials Laboratory, Tamkang University, New Taipei City, Taiwan;2. Energy and Opto-Electronic Materials Research Center, Tamkang University, New Taipei City, Taiwanhfyu@mail.tku.edu.tw |
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| Abstract: | Dispersive Ag nanoparticles were formed on the surface of crystalline ZnO particles, using a photochemical reduction technique, to produce the Ag/ZnO with high photocatalytic performance. The prepared Ag/ZnO particles, as well as the ZnO particles without Ag attachments, were characterized using x-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscope, and surface area analyzer. The abilities of the ZnO and the Ag/ZnO particles to photocatalytically decompose methylene blue under 365-nm ultraviolet light irradiation were evaluated by determining the corresponding specific reaction rate constant, k′MB,m (based on the mass of the photocatalyst used). While the ZnO crystalline particles (k′MB,m > 0.43 m3/(kg min)) already possessed better photocatalytic performance than the commercial photocatalyst P25 (k′MB,m = 0.39 m3/(kg min)), the Ag/ZnO particles exhibited much better photocatalytic performance than the ZnO particles. The highest k′MB,m for the Ag/ZnO particles was 1.93 m3/(kg min), which was about five times that of the P25. |
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| Keywords: | Ag deposition photocatalysis photochemical reduction polyol method zinc oxide |
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