Synergistic effect of upconversion and plasmons in NaYF4:Yb3+, Er3+, Tm3+@TiO2–Ag composites for MO photodegradation

Yu Gao; Cheng Shi; Jinzhao Feng; Guiyan Zhao; He Yu; Yanfeng Bi; Fu Ding; Yaguang Sun; Zhenhe Xu

doi:10.1039/C7RA09368C

Synergistic effect of upconversion and plasmons in NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺, Tm³⁺@TiO₂–Ag composites for MO photodegradation†

Yu Gao,‡^b Cheng Shi,‡^a Jinzhao Feng,^b Guiyan Zhao,^a He Yu,^b Yanfeng Bi,

*^a Fu Ding,*^b Yaguang Sun

^b and Zhenhe Xu

*^b

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* Corresponding authors

^a College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Liaoning Shihua University, Fushun 113001, P. R. China
E-mail: biyanfeng@lnpu.edu.cn

^b The Key Laboratory of Inorganic Molecule-Based Chemistry of Liaoning Province, College of Applied Chemistry, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang 110142, P. R. China
E-mail: xuzh@syuct.edu.cn

Abstract

Structure-based rational design of photocatalysts to enable combination of nanocomponents of radically different properties for enhanced solar energy utilization is a very challenging task. Herein, we integrated up-conversion material NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺, Tm³⁺ with TiO₂ shells and Ag nanoparticles to synthesise a new class of materials with good stability, broadband absorption from ultraviolet to near infrared, and excellent photocatalytic activity. Structure analysis proved that intimate contact between the NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺, Tm³⁺ core and the TiO₂ shell and between the TiO₂ shell and Ag NPs is the reason for the enhanced photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, the materials also showed exceptionally high stability and reusability under similar experimental conditions. All these results reveal that hierarchical core–shell microspheres exhibit great prospects for developing efficient solar photocatalysts.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C7RA09368C
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 24 Aug 2017
Accepted: 16 Nov 2017
First published: 28 Nov 2017
This article is Open Access

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RSC Adv., 2017,7, 54555-54561

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Synergistic effect of upconversion and plasmons in NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺, Tm³⁺@TiO₂–Ag composites for MO photodegradation

Y. Gao, C. Shi, J. Feng, G. Zhao, H. Yu, Y. Bi, F. Ding, Y. Sun and Z. Xu, RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 54555 DOI: 10.1039/C7RA09368C

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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Synergistic effect of upconversion and plasmons in NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺, Tm³⁺@TiO₂–Ag composites for MO photodegradation†

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Synergistic effect of upconversion and plasmons in NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺, Tm³⁺@TiO₂–Ag composites for MO photodegradation

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