Facile interfacial synthesis of thin AuPd alloy nanowires for plasmon-enhanced selective photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol

• Published in: Journal of catalysis Vol. 436; p. 115588
• Main Authors: Li, Hang, Yao, Kaisheng, Liu, Tianhang, Han, Tianhang, Wang, Qi, Wang, Aozhou, Lu, Weiwei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.08.2024
• Subjects: 1-naphthol; alloys; AuPd alloy nanowires; benzaldehyde; Benzyl alcohol; durability; light; lighting; liquid-liquid interface; Liquid-liquid interface synthesis; nanowires; oxidation; Photocatalysis; photocatalysts; reducing agents; Selective oxidation; Liquid-liquid interface synthesis; Selective oxidation; Benzyl alcohol; AuPd alloy nanowires; Photocatalysis
• ISSN: 0021-9517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcat.2024.115588

A facile synthetic technique is developed for the one-step fabrication of thin Au1Pd1 alloy nanowires at CHCl3-H2O interface and under mild conditions, which exhibit plasmon-enhanced photocatalytic activity and selectivity for benzyl alcohol oxidation to benzaldehyde. [Display omitted] •The thin Au1Pd1 alloy NWs are one-pot prepared at CHCl3-H2O interface and 40 °C.•The synthesis is achieved without the use of any surfactant, seed or supports.•Au1Pd1 NWs exhibit highly photocatalytic activity for benzyl alcohol oxidation.•98 % conversion and 100 % selectivity to benzaldehyde can be finished within 40 min.•The generated abundant •O2– under illumination dramatical improve the oxidation. Bimetallic AuPd plasmonic photocatalyst is a promising candidate for catalyzing selective oxidation of aromatic alcohol. However, developing a simple one-step method for the preparation of free-standing AuPd nanostructures with excellent photocatalytic performance remains a huge challenge. Here, a facile liquid–liquid interface route was exploited to one-pot prepare free-standing AuPd alloy nanowires (NWs) under mild conditions. Specifically, Au1Pd1 NWs are grown via oriented attachment at chloroform-water interface and 40 °C with Na2PdCl4 and HAuCl4 as precursors and 1-naphthol as reductant. Au1Pd1 NWs possess many advantages, such as thin diameter (4.0 nm), large aspect ratio, abundant defects and strong Au-Pd electronic interaction. During benzyl alcohol oxidation to benzaldehyde, Au1Pd1 NWs exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity and durability. At 40 min of visible light illumination, 98 % conversion of benzyl alcohol and 100 % selectivity to benzaldehyde are finished. After five cycles, Au1Pd1 NWs still maintain high photocatalytic activity. Compared to pure Au NWs, alloying Pd with Au in Au1Pd1 NWs dramatically enhances photocatalytic activity. The results indicate that the generated abundant •O2– under illumination play an important role in significantly improving benzyl alcohol oxidation to benzaldehyde.