Aerosol-Sprayed Gold/Ceria Photocatalyst with Superior Plasmonic Hot Electron-Enabled Visible-Light Activity

Integration of nanoscale plasmonic metals with semiconductors is a promising strategy for utilizing visible and near-infrared light to enhance chemical reactions. Here we report on the preparation of Au/CeO2 microsphere photocatalysts through aerosol spray and the study of their photocatalytic activity toward the aerobic oxidation of 1-phenylethanol under visible light. The microsphere catalysts exhibit a remarkable photocatalytic performance with their turnover frequency values reaching 108 h–1, which is more than 23 times that of (Au core)@(CeO2 shell) nanostructures and much larger than those obtained previously for the visible-light photocatalytic oxidation of 1-phenylethanol. In addition, the Au/CeO2 catalyst shows the best performance among eight types of oxide semiconductor supports. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism of the Au/CeO2 catalyst is systematically investigated. This study offers insights for plasmonic hot electron-enabled photocatalysis, which will be valuable for the design of various efficient (plasmonic metal)/semiconductor photocatalysts.