Pb/Pb₃O₄ Metal-Semiconductor Nanocomposite Obtained on 4A Zeolite-Optical and Structural Properties

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Photocatalysis

Background:

• Developing novel nanocomposites is crucial for advanced material applications.
• Lead/lead oxide (Pb/Pb3O4) materials offer unique electronic and optical properties.
• Efficient synthesis methods for controlled nanostructures are in demand.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a controlled and cost-effective synthesis route for Pb/Pb3O4 nanocomposites.
• To characterize the morphology, structure, and composition of the synthesized nanostructures.
• To evaluate the potential of these nanocomposites in UV photocatalysis.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Pb/Pb3O4 nanocomposites using synthetic zeolite 4A.
• Characterization via High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), HAADF-STEM, EDS, XPS, and UV-Vis spectroscopy.
• Analysis of crystallographic planes, elemental composition, and electronic band structure.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized Pb/Pb3O4 nanocomposites with a core-shell structure (5-25 nm diameters).
• Determined FCC and tetragonal crystalline structures for Pb (core) and Pb3O4 (shell), respectively.
• Confirmed the simultaneous presence of lead and lead oxide, with a band gap of 4.50 eV for the shell.

Conclusions:

• The developed method provides a viable route for producing Pb/Pb3O4 nanocomposites.
• The core-shell nanostructures exhibit properties suitable for interacting with high-energy photons.
• These Pb/Pb3O4 nanocomposites demonstrate significant potential for UV photocatalysis applications.