Size- and density-controlled photodeposition of metallic platinum nanoparticles on titanium dioxide for photocatalytic applications

Photodeposition has been demonstrated to be a reliable tool for the growth of co-catalyst nanoparticles on titanium dioxide. The current state of investigation on the technique, however, lacks a comprehensive study on the collective influence of different process parameters, preferring to confront the effect of a single parameter at a time. This paper presents a parametric study on photodeposition of platinum nanoparticles from liquid precursors on ALD-grown titanium dioxide, applicable to the fabrication of photocatalytic composite materials. In the described process, a systematic and rigorous statistical analysis of the photodeposition parameters is conducted, assessing the influential parameters that control and predict the size, density and loading of the deposited nanoparticles. The results are assessed by scanning electron microscopy, statistical analysis of micrographs, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This confirms the simplicity and the viability of photodeposition as a method for the self-assembly of metal nanoparticles from liquid precursors and provides all-round insight on the role of parameters such as the concentration of sacrificial reagents, the presence of H ₂SO ₄, and the concentration of the precursor solution, in the chemical and structural properties of the deposited nanoparticles.