Enhancing photocatalysis in SrTiO{sub 3} by using Ag nanoparticles: A two-step excitation model for surface plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis

Journal Article · Fri Aug 28 04:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of Chemical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4929910· OSTI ID:22493587

Ma, Lei; Sun, Tao; Cai, Hua; Zhou, Zhi-Quan; Sun, Jian; Lu, Ming ^[1]

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1. Department of Optical Science and Engineering, and Shanghai Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing Engineering Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China)

Surface plasmon (SP)-enhanced ultraviolet and visible photocatalytic activities of SrTiO{sub 3} (STO) are observed after incorporating Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) on STO surfaces. A two-step excitation model is proposed to explain the SP-enhanced photocatalysis. The point of the model is that an electron at the valence band of STO is first excited onto the Fermi level of Ag-NP by the SP field generated on the Ag-NP, and then injected into the conduction band of STO from the SP band, leaving a hole at the valence band of STO. A full redox catalytic reaction at the surface of STO is then available. For Ag-NP incorporated STO, up-converted and inter-band photoluminescence emissions of STO are observed, and nonlinear evolutions of photocatalytic activity with illumination light powers are found. Furthermore, near infrared photocatalysis is detected. These results support the proposed model.

• OSTI ID: 22493587
• Journal Information: Journal of Chemical Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Chemical Physics Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 143; ISSN JCPSA6; ISSN 0021-9606
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ELECTRONS
EXCITATION
FERMI LEVEL
HOLES
ILLUMINANCE
NANOPARTICLES
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PHOTOCATALYSIS
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
STRONTIUM TITANATES
SURFACES
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
VALENCE
VISIBLE RADIATION