Facile transfer of surface plasmon electrons of Au-NPs to Zn(3)V(2)O(8) surfaces: a case study of sunlight driven H(2) generation from water splitting

For future energy perspectives, an effective way to produce H(2) from water splitting is suggested using Zn(3)V(2)O(8) photocatalyst as a semiconductor support. Further, to enhance the catalytic efficiency and stability of the catalyst, gold metal was deposited over the Zn(3)V(2)O(8) surface by a chemical reduction method. For comparison, the Zn(3)V(2)O(8) and gold-fabricated catalysts (i.e., Au@Zn(3)V(2)O(8)) 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 Zn(3)V(2)O(8) 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) H(2) generation was observed over Au(1.0)@Zn(3)V(2)O(8), which was ten times higher than bare Zn(3)V(2)O(8). The results revealed that the higher H(2) activities could be attributed to the Schottky barriers and surface plasmon electrons (SPRs). Thus the Au@Zn(3)V(2)O(8) catalysts have potential to deliver higher hydrogen generation than Zn(3)V(2)O(8) by water splitting.