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Synthesis of Ag-loaded SrTiO3/TiO2 heterostructure nanotube arrays for enhanced photocatalytic performances

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Abstract

In this work, the effect of loading Ag nanoparticles on the photocatalytic activity of SrTiO3/TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTAs) was investigated. TNTAs were partially transformed to SrTiO3 through a hydrothermal treatment, which could preserve the tubular structure of TNTAs, and then, Ag nanoparticles were well deposited on the surface of SrTiO3/TNTAs heterostructure by a chemical reduction process. Compared to the TNTAs sample, the Ag-loaded SrTiO3/TNTAs sample showed significantly enhanced photocatalytic activities for photodegradation of rhodamine B. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag-loaded SrTiO3/TNTAs could be attributed to the increased optical absorption as well as the efficient charge transfer and separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs induced by the SrTiO3/TNTAs heterojunction and the Schottky barrier between metallic Ag and SrTiO3/TNTAs. On the basis of the trapping experiments, the possible photocatalytic mechanism was also discussed.

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Acknowledgements

This work is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51372237, 51572250), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No. LY17E020009), and Research Project of Public Welfare Quality Testing Industry of China (No. 201510072).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Materials Science and Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

    Zijun Hu, Da Chen, Xiaqiang Zhan, Fang Wang, Laishun Qin & Yuexiang Huang

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  1. Zijun Hu
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  2. Da Chen
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  3. Xiaqiang Zhan
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Correspondence to Da Chen or Laishun Qin.

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Hu, Z., Chen, D., Zhan, X. et al. Synthesis of Ag-loaded SrTiO3/TiO2 heterostructure nanotube arrays for enhanced photocatalytic performances. Appl. Phys. A 123, 399 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-017-1014-2

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