Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange Using Nitrogen‐Functionalized MesoporousTiO<sub>2</sub> Decorated with Au<sub>9</sub> Nanoclusters
Anahita Motamedisade, Amir Heydari, Yanting Yin, Abdulrahman S. Alotabi, Gunther G. Andersson
Abstract
A novel catalyst for dye degradation is fabricated through attaching Au 9 nanoclusters (Au 9 NCs) to N functionalized mesoporous TiO 2 (NMTiO 2 ). The NMTiO 2 is created through chitosan‐assisted soft templating resulting in an N terminated surface preventing the agglomeration of the Au 9 NCs adsorbed surface and enhancing the overall loading with Au 9 . The calcination atmosphere influenced the surface properties of the NMTiO 2 and its capability to adsorb the Au 9 NCs. The photocatalytic effectiveness of these materials was probed through methyl orange (MO) dye degradation. The black coloured Au 9 /NMTiO 2 catalyst is highly effective to completely degrade MO dyes within 20 min due to its large reaction constant (0.176 min −1 ). Parameter interactions for the dye degradation process were explored using response surface methodology (RSM) and the dependency of MO degradation on the affecting parameters was evaluated based on the statistical analysis and 3D plots.