Abstract
A number of semiconducting and bioactive nanocomposite systems based on TiO2 are designed for environmental protection. The presented structures based on titanium dioxide, formed in binary and ternary systems in the presence of gold, silver, cerium and iron with a different degree of crystallinity, were obtained by sol–gel method using titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) as a precursor species. X-ray diffraction data confirmed a homogeneous composition of powders formed in binary systems (anatase modified with clusters of Au, Ag, and CeO2) and a heterogeneous composition of ternary systems with CSR in the range of 9–20 nm. As such, the XRD of the powders indicated the formation of heterogeneous structures: anatase—cerium dioxide—silver and anatase/brookite—hematite—gold or brookite—gold. Noble metals (Au, Ag) can be used to fill surface traps by donating electrons into 3d states of coordinated Ti ions. It was shown that the ternary composite TiO2-CeO2-Ag (2 wt.%) has improved photocatalytic properties due to the inclusion of CeO2 in the crystal lattice of anatase, which is confirmed by an increase in the degree of tetragonality of the lattice from 2.50 to 2.53, and prevention of oxidation of silver clusters on the surface of anatase under the influence of UV irradiation (98.4%). The photocatalytic efficiency was assessed through the removal and degradation of malachite green. More than 95% of dye solution was decolorized after 5 min of contact with all composites compared to pure TiO2 phase. Thus, the obtained structures are promising materials for creating photoactive catalysts to neutralize malachite green solutions.
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Acknowledgements
The authors express gratitude to the Head of the Laboratory of Electron Microscopy M.A. Skoryk (Laboratory of Electronic Microscopy LLC “Nano Technologies in Medicine” NanoMedTech) for the obtaining of the SEM images and EDS spectra, O. I. Bykov (I. Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science, NAS of Ukraine) for the obtaining and discussion of XRD results, and V.V. Strelchuk, O.F. Kolomys (V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, NAS of Ukraine) for the PL tested of samples). The Laboratoire de Physique des Solides is supported by the PAUSE program, a national emergency program for scientists and artists in exile, run by the Collège de France.
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Lavrynenko, O.M., Zahornyi, M.M., Paineau, E. et al. Synthesis of active binary and ternary TiO2-based nanocomposites for efficient dye photodegradation. Appl Nanosci 13, 7365–7377 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-023-02909-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-023-02909-z