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Au nanoparticles decorated brookite-anatase nanowires for efficient photo-oxidation of aqueous resorcinol

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Abstract

A simple photoreduction method was used to deposit Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) at different loadings (0.1–2 Au%) into mixed phase brookite-anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanowires (NWs). X-ray diffraction (XRD) verified that the Au/TiO2 NWs were composed of a mixture of brookite (84.24%) and anatase (15.76%); while transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed a uniform dispersion of 5- to 10-nm Au NPs over the TiO2 NWs. The photocatalytic performance of the synthesized Au/TiO2 NWs was evaluated for the degradation of resorcinol under UVA illumination. The 0.1% Au/TiO2 NWs photocatalyst offered the best photocatalytic efficiency for resorcinol degradation among the synthesized samples, with the rate, constantly increasing from 0.0014 to 0.003 min−1 after adding 0.1% Au into TiO2 NWs. At Au higher loadings, the rate decreased (0.0005 min−1 for 2% Au/TiO2 photocatalyst. The enhanced activity of the 0.1% Au/TiO2 NWs sample could be ascribed to the effective electron–hole separation at brookite/anatase phase junctions. The Au/TiO2 NWs has maintained good activity over five catalytic test cycles.

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Acknowledgements

The financial support received from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) related to the Project EA071C under a contract number: PR17-12SC-01 is hereby acknowledged. Also, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) is extended the appreciation for the instrumental facilities. The authors likewise extend gratitude to the Kuwait University Research Administration for the use of RSPU facilities No. GS 01/01, GS 01/05 and the Nanoscopy Science Center for carrying out the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Program, Energy & Building Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), P.O. Box 24885, 13109, Safat, Kuwait

    L. A. Al-Hajji, Adel A. Ismail, M. Alsaidi, S. A. Ahmed, F. Almutawa & A. Al-Hazza

  2. Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, PO Box 5969, 13060, Safat, Kuwait

    A. Bumajdad

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  1. L. A. Al-Hajji
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  2. Adel A. Ismail
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  3. A. Bumajdad
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  4. M. Alsaidi
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Correspondence to Adel A. Ismail.

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Al-Hajji, L.A., Ismail, A.A., Bumajdad, A. et al. Au nanoparticles decorated brookite-anatase nanowires for efficient photo-oxidation of aqueous resorcinol. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 32, 19764–19777 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-06501-5

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