<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Awate, S. V.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Deshpande, Suvarna S.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Rakesh, K.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dhanasekaran, P.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Gupta, N. M.</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Role of micro-structure and interfacial properties in the higher photocatalytic activity of TiO2-supported nanogold for methanol-assisted visible-light-induced splitting of water</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">MAY</style></date></pub-dates></dates><number><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">23</style></number><publisher><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY</style></publisher><pub-location><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND</style></pub-location><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">13</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">11329-11339</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;This paper deals with the textural, microstructural and interfacial properties of Au/TiO2 nanocomposites, in relation to their photocatalytic activity for splitting of water. TiO2 samples of two different morphologies were employed for dispersing different cocatalysts, such as: Au, Pt, Ag or Cu, for the sake of comparison. The samples were characterized using powder XRD, XPS, UV-visible, thermoluminescence, SEM, HRTEM and SAED techniques. Compared to other metal/TiO2 photocatalysts, Au/TiO2 with an optimum gold loading of 1 wt% was found to exhibit considerably higher activity for visible light induced production of H-2 from splitting water in the presence of methanol. Further, the sol-gel prepared TiO2 (s.TiO2), having spherical grains of 10-15 nm size, displayed better photoactivity than a Degussa P25 catalyst. The electron microscopy investigations on s.TiO2 revealed significant heterogeneity in grain morphology of individual TiO2 particles, exposure of the lattice planes, metal dispersion, and the interfacial metal/TiO2 contacts. The gold particles were found to be in a better dispersed state. O-2 TPD experiments revealed that the gold nanoparticles and Au/TiO2 interfaces may serve as distinct binding sites for adsorbate molecules. At the same time, our thermoluminescence measurements provide an insight into Au-induced new defect states that may facilitate the semiconductor-to-metal charge transfer transition. In conclusion, the superior photocatalytic activity of Au/TiO2 may relate to the grain morphology of TiO2, dispersion of gold particles, and the peculiar architecture of metal/oxide heterojunctions; giving rise in turn to augmented adsorption of reactant molecules and their interaction with the photo-generated e(-)/h(+) pair. The role played by methanol as a sacrificial reagent in photocatalytic splitting of water is discussed.&lt;/p&gt;</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">23</style></issue><custom3><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Foreign</style></custom3><custom4><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">3.63</style></custom4></record></records></xml>