Photocatalytic activity of NH4F-doped TiO2 modified by noble metal nanoparticles deposition

Intriguing synergistic effects of simultaneous bulk and surface TiO2 modification were evidenced in both energetically downhill and up-hill photocatalytic reactions, which can be interpreted in relation to the structural features of the materials. On one side NH4F doping guarantees that the most active TiO2 anatase phase is stabilized up to high calcination temperature, ensuring high crystallinity and good photoinduced charge carriers production, on the other side noble metal (Au or Pt) nanoparticles contribute in increasing the separation of photoproduced charge carriers, resulting in enhanced photocatalytic performances of the surface and bulk-modified photocatalyst systems.