@article { ISI:000337637100017,
	title = {Disordered mesoporous TiO2-xNx+Nano-Au: an electronically integrated nanocomposite for solar H-2 generation},
	journal = {ChemCatChem},
	volume = {6},
	number = {2},
	year = {2014},
	month = {FEB},
	pages = {522-530},
	publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH},
	type = {Article},
	address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY},
	abstract = {<p>We report on H-2 generation by photocatalysis driven by simulated white light by electronically integrated Au nanoparticles with multifunctional, disordered mesoporous TiO2-xNx (Au-NT) nanocomposites. Solar H-2 generation (1.5 mmolh(-1)g(-1)) from aqueous methanol has been demonstrated with Au-NT nanocomposites. The water splitting activity of Au-NT is attributed to the 21.1 ps lifetime of charge carriers observed from fluorescence lifetime measurements, which indicates a high electron-injection efficiency from nano-Au to the conduction band of TiO2, and hence charge separation as well as utilization. This is directly supported by the observation of a high photoluminescence emission intensity with Au-NT that highlights the energy transfer from nano-Au to TiO2. The p-n heterojunction observed between the Au (001) and TiO2 (101) facets helps to-wards the higher charge separation and their utilization. A low mesochannel depth (\&lt; 10 nm) associated with disordered mesoporous TiO2-xNx helps the charge carriers to move towards the surface for redox reactions and hence charge utilization. Visible-light absorption, as a result of the surface plasmon resonance of nano-Au, is observed in a broad range between 500 and 750 nm, which helps in harvesting visible-light photons. Finally, electronically integrated nano-Au with TiO2-xNx in Au-NT is evident from Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. All of these factors help to achieve a high rate of H-2 production. It is likely that a higher rate of H-2 production than that reported here is feasible by strategically locating Au clusters in porous TiO2 to generate hot spots through electronic integration.</p>},
	keywords = {heterogeneous catalysis, Hydrogen, mesoporous materials, photochemistry, water splitting},
	issn = {1867-3880},
	doi = {10.1002/cctc.201300715},
	author = {Sivaranjani, Kumarsrinivasan and Rajaambal, Sivaraman and Das, Tanmay and Roy, Kanak and Bhattacharyya, Somnath and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.}
}
