Facile transfer of surface plasmon electrons of Au-NPs to Zn3V2O8 surfaces: a case study of sunlight driven H2 generation from water splitting

Abstract

For future energy perspectives, an effective way to produce H₂ from water splitting is suggested using Zn₃V₂O₈ photocatalyst as a semiconductor support. Further, to enhance the catalytic efficiency and stability of the catalyst, gold metal was deposited over the Zn₃V₂O₈ surface by a chemical reduction method. For comparison, the Zn₃V₂O₈ and gold-fabricated catalysts (i.e., Au@Zn₃V₂O₈) were used for water splitting reactions. For structural and optical properties, various techniques, including XRD, UV-Vis DRS, FTIR, PL, Raman, SEM, EDX, XPS and EIS were used for the characterizations. The scanning electron microscope revealed the pebble-shaped morphology of the Zn₃V₂O₈ catalyst. The FTIR and EDX results confirmed the purity and structural and elemental composition of the catalysts. Overall, 7.05 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ H₂ generation was observed over Au_1.0@Zn₃V₂O₈, which was ten times higher than bare Zn₃V₂O₈. The results revealed that the higher H₂ activities could be attributed to the Schottky barriers and surface plasmon electrons (SPRs). Thus the Au@Zn₃V₂O₈ catalysts have potential to deliver higher hydrogen generation than Zn₃V₂O₈ by water splitting.