Tailoring of the photocatalytic activity of CeO₂ nanoparticles by the presence of plasmonic Ag nanoparticles

Abstract

The present study investigates basic features of a photoelectrochemical system based on CeO2 nanoparticles fixed on gold electrodes. Since photocurrent generation is limited to the absorption range of the CeO2...

Sunlight‐Sensitive Plasmonic Nanostructured Composites as Photocatalytic Coating with Antibacterial Properties

“…In this regard, Zhao and collaborators have used a similar mechanism for the development of photoelectrochemical sensing applications by means of Au/CeO 2 core/shell nanoparticles. [57] Under these illumination conditions, the localized surface plasmon resonance from the metallic nanoparticles is responsible for creating electron-holes pairs by transferring electrons to the CB of the semiconductor. [58,59] Electrons transferred from the AuNRs to TiO 2 in the plasmonic-metal/semiconductor heterostructure have been shown to display, under visible-light irradiation, longer excited-state lifetimes than those of electrons photogenerated in the TiO 2 CB via UV irradiation.…”

Engineering the Interface of Ceria and Silver Janus Nanoparticles for Enhanced Catalytic Performance in 4-Nitrophenol Conversion

“…Many industrial processes, from synthesis of pharmaceuticals to petroleum refining, require the use of catalysts. , In this context, metal nanocrystals offer unique opportunities, as they display strong catalytic performances and high surface-to-volume ratios, which can be enhanced by tailoring their size and shape. , While traditional nanocatalysts used to be made of single elements, such as silver or platinum, in recent years multicomponent nanoparticles have attracted a lot of attention, as they can present advanced multifunctionalities. , For example, silver and ceria nanocomposites take advantage of the strong catalytic activity of the former (due to its electronic cloud) and the rich redox behavior of the latter because of the oxygen vacancy defects generated when shifting between Ce­(III) and Ce­(IV) oxidation states. Hence, ceria and silver nanocomposites have been explored in heterogeneous catalytic reactions, including alcohol oxidation, soot oxidation and nitrophenol reduction, − and photocatalytic reactions …”

“…Recent developments in wet colloidal synthesis have started to overcome those limitations through redox coprecipitation, seed-mediated approaches, and simultaneous growth and self-aggregation methods. , Nevertheless, when combining the two components in a single catalyst, it is important to preserve their individual features. For example, the reported catalytic performance of ceria and noble metal nanoparticles is widely variable in the literature, ranging from highly catalytic to poorly catalytic. ,,,, This variation is believed to be caused by the degree of interface exposure because (nano)­ceria is not catalytic , and needs to be in close contact with the metal. For instance, if the ceria shell covers the noble metal core, the resulting nanocomposite shows poorer catalytic activity .…”

“…As previously described, the catalytic performance of ceria and noble metal nanoparticles is widely variable in the literature, ,,,, as it has been hypothesized that ceria may be beneficial or detrimental depending on its content and its distribution on nanoparticles. Hence, we decided to explore the role of ceria on the performance of our heterodimer nanocatalyst by synthesizing four nanoparticle samples with different proportions of Ce­(NO 3 ) 3 and AgNO 3 .…”

“…Hence, ceria and silver nanocomposites have been explored in heterogeneous catalytic reactions, including alcohol oxidation, soot oxidation and nitrophenol reduction, 7−9 and photocatalytic reactions. 10 The synthesis of nanoparticles that simultaneously display noble metal and ceria parts is particularly challenging, as noble metals and ceria tend to grow separately because of their low affinity and strong immiscibility. Recent developments in wet colloidal synthesis have started to overcome those limitations through redox coprecipitation, 11 seed-mediated approaches, 12 and simultaneous growth and self-aggregation methods.…”