Síntese e caracterização de TIO2 puro e modificado com nanopartículas de prata para aplicação em fotorredução

Abstract

The search for clean energy sources and the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have led to a growing interest in photocatalysis for the production of sustainable fuels. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a widely studied photocatalyst; however, its efficiency in CO2 reduction is limited by the rapid recombination of charge carriers. The modification of TiO2 with silver nanoparticles (Ag) has emerged as a strategy to improve its performance. In this context, this study aims to synthesize and characterize TiO2 modified with Ag nanoparticles for photoassisted reduction of metals and CO2 in aqueous media. The objective of this work is to analyze the influence of adding silver nanoparticles (Ag) to TiO2 and to perform a comparative characterization between pure TiO2 and silver-modified TiO2 (TiO2/Ag). Aspects such as the uniformity of silver nanoparticle dispersion on the TiO2 surface and the impact of this modification on the material's properties will be investigated. Additionally, the influence of silver on the recombination rate of generated charges, as well as the optical properties of the samples, will be evaluated, aiming to understand how the presence of Ag alters the photocatalytic behavior of TiO2. The methodology includes the synthesis of Ag nanoparticles and their incorporation into TiO2, followed by characterization analyses. The efficiency of the photocatalyst will be assessed through CO2 and metal photodegradation tests, monitoring the formation of methanol and other products. It is expected that the modified photocatalyst will demonstrate superior performance compared to pure TiO2, due to the enhanced charge separation promoted by the presence of Ag nanoparticles.