Effect of Gold Particle Size and Deposition Method on the Photodegradation of 4-Chlorophenol by Au/TiO2

• Published in: Topics in catalysis 2011-06, Vol.54 (8-9), p.519-526
• Main Authors: Oros-Ruiz, S., Pedraza-Avella, J. A., Guzmán, C., Quintana, M., Moctezuma, E., del Angel, G., Gómez, R., Pérez, E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Catalysis; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Original Paper; Pharmacy; Physical Chemistry
• ISSN: 1022-5528; 1572-9028
• DOI: 10.1007/s11244-011-9616-y

The photoactivity of TiO 2 P25 modified by surface-deposition of gold nanoparticles was investigated trough the photocatalytic degradation of aqueous 4-Chlorophenol (4-CP). The Au/TiO 2 materials were prepared by three methods: photodeposition, deposition–precipitation (D–P) and colloidal deposition. Each preparation yields to different particle size, distribution and properties of gold nanoparticles. However, the photoactivity of these systems depends mainly on the gold particle size. All the materials fit well to a pseudo first order rate model and a relationship between the kinetic rate and the resulting particle sizes was found, which shows the importance of the nanoparticle size in the photoactivity of the TiO 2 modified by gold. The optimal load was found to be 0.5 wt% Au/TiO 2 for the material prepared by D–P, since this material increased the photoactivity degradation of commercial TiO 2 in 80%.