Multilayer TiO2 Inverse Opal with Gold Nanoparticles for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Abid Zulfiqar; Filipp Temerov; Jarkko J Saarinen

doi:10.1021/acsomega.0c00833

Multilayer TiO₂ Inverse Opal with Gold Nanoparticles for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

ACS Omega. 2020 May 4;5(20):11595-11604. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.0c00833. eCollection 2020 May 26.

Authors

Abid Zulfiqar¹, Filipp Temerov¹, Jarkko J Saarinen¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, Joensuu FI-80101, Finland.

Abstract

Three-dimensional highly ordered multilayer titanium dioxide (TiO₂) inverse opal (TIO) structures with two pore sizes were fabricated over a large surface using a self-convective method. The fabricated TIO multilayers were functionalized with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by immersing the samples in solution with gold nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ was enhanced by 85% via plasmonic activation of AuNPs that increased the lifetime of photogenerated holes and electrons. The improved photocatalytic activity was characterized with both UVA and visible light irradiation using an in-house built gas-phase photoreactor.