Title | Sol-Gel Synthesis of Au/Cu-TiO2 Nanocomposite and Their Morphological and Optical Properties |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2013 |
Authors | Gondal M.A, Rashid S.G, Dastageer M.A, Zubair S.M, Ali M.A, Lienhard J.H, McKinley G.H, Varanasi K.K |
Journal | IEEE Photonics Journal |
Volume | 5 |
Issue | 3 |
Start Page | 2201908 |
Abstract | A facile single-step method was adopted to synthesize gold-modified copper-doped titania nanocomposites. Physicochemical properties of the synthesized material were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), and TEM-based techniques. Our characterizations show that the material consisted of anatase-phase qausi-spherical titania nanoparticles (NPs), with 3-4-nm gold particles anchored on titania surface. According to diffuse UV-visible spectroscopic analysis, gold-modified copper-doped titania shows enhanced absorption in the visible-light spectrum compared with copper-doped titania and pure titania. Furthermore, a decrease in PL emission intensity is observed, and this is due to decreased electron-hole recombination, which is an attribute desired for the enhancement of photocatalytic activity. Our present results highlight that these nanocomposites could be used as a photocatalyst for various applications in conjunction with visible solar radiation. The surface modifications make this material for many applications such as gas sensing and photodetection. |
DOI | 10.1109/JPHOT.2013.2262674 |