The promotion of photo-induced catalytic reactions with Au-TiO2 catalysts has been studied in order to identify the mechanistic details associated with the addition of metals to semiconductor solids. Specifically, these catalysts have been employed to study the photocatalytic splitting of water, in studies with model systems that have led to the suggestion that the role of the metal may not be to scavenge the excited electrons produced in the semiconductor upon absorption of light, as commonly believed, but rather to promote the recombination of the adsorbed atomic hydrogen initially produced by reduction of H+ on the surface of that semiconductor. New yolk-shell nanostructures and samples prepared via atomic layer deposition (ALD) of titania thin films on the pores of silica mesoporous materials are being developed to provide better control of the structural parameters of the Au-TiO2 catalysts.

Role of the metal in Au-TiO2 catalysts during the H2 photoproduction from water

2019 Spring National Meeting

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