Photocatalytic Formation and Photoinduced Charging of ZnO–Au Nanostructures

• Date: 2010
• Main Authors: Stroyuk, O.L., Shvalagin, V.V., Kotenko, I.Е., Kuchmiy, S.Ya., Derzhypolskiy, A.G., Melenevskiy, D.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Інститут хімії поверхні ім. О.О. Чуйка НАН України 2010
• Series: Хімія, фізика та технологія поверхні
• Online Access: https://nasplib.isofts.kiev.ua/handle/123456789/28969
• Journal Title: Digital Library of Periodicals of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• Cite this: Photocatalytic Formation and Photoinduced Charging of ZnO–Au Nanostructures / O.L. Stroyuk, V.V. Shvalagin, I.Е. Kotenko, S.Ya. Kuchmiy, A.G. Derzhypolskiy, D.A. Melenevskiy // Хімія, фізика та технологія поверхні. — 2010. — Т. 1, № 2. — С. 119-127. — Бібліогр.: 40 назв. — англ.

Photocatalytic NaAuCl4 reduction by ethanol with the participation of ZnO nanocrystals results in the formation of gold nanocrystals with the mean size of 25–30 nm. The strongly pronounced autocatalytic character of the process reflects the fact that the ZnO–Au nanostructure produced at the initial stage of the photoreaction is a much more efficient photocatalyst than the original ZnO nanocrystals. The charging of gold nanocrystals by photogenerated ZnO conduction band electrons is accompanied by the equilibration of Fermi energies of the metal and semiconductor resulting in the charge redistribution between the components of ZnO–Au nanostructure and photoinduced polarization of ZnO nanocrystals. A long lifetime of the charged state of ZnO–Au nanostructure reflects an exceptional capability of gold nanocrystals to accumulate and retain negative charge.