Fig. 3
From: Stabilizing ultrasmall Au clusters for enhanced photoredox catalysis
Photocatalytic activity and the underlying mechanism Photocatalytic degradation of a RhB over blank SiO2 spheres, TiO2, SAB, TAB, and SABT composites with different TiO2 shell thickness under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm) for 0.5 h; photocatalytic reduction of b p-methoxy nitrobenzene to p-methoxy aniline over blank SiO2 spheres, TiO2, SAB, TAB, and SABT composites with different TiO2 shell thickness under visible light irradiation for 5 h; c recycling photocatalytic degradation of RhB over optimal SABT-0.15 composite under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm); d transient photocurrent densities of SiO2 spheres, SAB and SABT composites with different TiO2 shell thickness under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm); e scheme illustrating the photogenerated electron transport pathways between Au GSH clusters and TiO2 shell (the blue arrow represents the photoexcitation process of electron–hole pairs; the orange dash line means the recombination of electron-hole pairs; e and h in the blue cycles correspond to the photogenerated electron and hole, respectively); f cyclic voltammograms of SiO2 spheres, SAB and SABT composites with different TiO2 shell thickness; g bar plots showing the remaining RhB in reaction solutions after being kept in dark for 3 h to achieve the adsorption–desorption equilibrium over SiO2 spheres, SAB and SABT composites with different TiO2 shell thickness; h nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms of SiO2 spheres, SAB and SABT composites with different TiO2 shell thickness; i surface area of SiO2 spheres, SAB and SABT composites with different TiO2 shell thickness. Note that the error bars represent the photoactivity s.d. values calculated from triplicate experiments
