Boosting the Catalytic Performance of AuAg Alloyed Nanoparticles Grafted on MoS2 Nanoflowers through NIR-Induced Light-to-Thermal Energy Conversion

Sara Rodríguez-da-Silva; Abdel Ghafour El-Hachimi; José M López-de-Luzuriaga; María Rodríguez-Castillo; Miguel Monge

doi:10.3390/nano13061074

Boosting the Catalytic Performance of AuAg Alloyed Nanoparticles Grafted on MoS₂ Nanoflowers through NIR-Induced Light-to-Thermal Energy Conversion

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2023 Mar 16;13(6):1074. doi: 10.3390/nano13061074.

Authors

Sara Rodríguez-da-Silva¹, Abdel Ghafour El-Hachimi¹, José M López-de-Luzuriaga¹, María Rodríguez-Castillo¹, Miguel Monge¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry, Centro de Investigación en Síntesis Químicas (CISQ), University of La Rioja, C/Madre de Dios 53, E-26006 Logroño, La Rioja, Spain.

Abstract

MoS₂ nanoflowers (NFs) obtained through a hydrothermal approach were used as the substrate for the deposition of tiny spherical bimetallic AuAg or monometallic Au nanoparticles (NPs), leading to novel photothermal-assisted catalysts with different hybrid nanostructures and showing improved catalytic performance under NIR laser irradiation. The catalytic reduction of pollutant 4-nitrophenol (4-NF) to the valuable product 4-aminophenol (4-AF) was evaluated. The hydrothermal synthesis of MoS₂ NFs provides a material with a broad absorption in the Vis-NIR region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The in situ grafting of alloyed AuAg and Au NPs of very small size (2.0-2.5 nm) was possible through the decomposition of organometallic complexes [Au₂Ag₂(C₆F₅)₄(OEt₂)₂]_n and [Au(C₆F₅)(tht)] (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) using triisopropilsilane as reducing agent, leading to nanohybrids 1-4. The new nanohybrid materials display photothermal properties arising from NIR light absorption of the MoS₂ NFs component. The AuAg-MoS₂ nanohybrid 2 showed excellent photothermal-assisted catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-NF, which is better than that of the monometallic Au-MoS₂ nanohybrid 4. The obtained nanohybrids were characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), High Angle Annular Dark Field-Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (HAADF-STEM-EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy.

Keywords: catalysis; gold; molybdenum disulfide; photothermal effect; silver.

Abstract

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