Au-Decorated Ce–Ti Mixed Oxides for Efficient CO Preferential PhotooxidationShow others and affiliations
2020 (English)In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, ISSN 1944-8244, E-ISSN 1944-8252, Vol. 12, no 34, p. 38019-38030Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
We investigated the photocatalytic behavior of gold nanoparticles supported on CeO2–TiO2 nanostructured matrixes in the CO preferential oxidation in H2-rich stream (photo-CO-PROX), by modifying the electronic band structure of ceria through addition of titania and making it more suitable for interacting with free electrons excited in gold nanoparticles through surface plasmon resonance. CeO2 samples with different TiO2 concentrations (0–20 wt %) were prepared through a slow coprecipitation method in alkaline conditions. The synthetic route is surfactant-free and environmentally friendly. Au nanoparticles (<1.0 wt % loading) were deposited on the surface of the CeO2–TiO2 oxides by deposition–precipitation. A benchmarking sample was also considered, prepared by standard fast coprecipitation, to assess how a peculiar morphology can affect the photocatalytic behavior. The samples appeared organized in a hierarchical needle-like structure, with different morphologies depending on the Ti content and preparation method, with homogeneously distributed Au nanoparticles decorating the Ce–Ti mixed oxides. The morphology influences the preferential photooxidation of CO to CO2 in excess of H2 under simulated solar light irradiation at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The Au/CeO2–TiO2 systems exhibit much higher activity compared to a benchmark sample with a non-organized structure. The most efficient sample exhibited CO conversions of 52.9 and 80.2%, and CO2 selectivities equal to 95.3 and 59.4%, in the dark and under simulated sunlight, respectively. A clear morphology–functionality correlation was found in our systematic analysis, with CO conversion maximized for a TiO2 content equal to 15 wt %. The outcomes of this study are significant advancements toward the development of an effective strategy for exploitation of hydrogen as a viable clean fuel in stationary, automotive, and portable power generators.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
American Chemical Society (ACS), 2020. Vol. 12, no 34, p. 38019-38030
Keywords [en]
CO preferential oxidation, CO-PROX, ceria−titania, gold nanoparticles, photocatalysis
National Category
Other Physics Topics
Research subject
Experimental Physics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-80633DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c08258ISI: 000566662000021PubMedID: 32687700Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85090076721OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-80633DiVA, id: diva2:1462790
Note
Validerad;2020;Nivå 2;2020-08-31 (alebob)
2020-08-312020-08-312021-10-15Bibliographically approved