Visible light induced electron transfer behavior of a CeO2-loaded HfO2/carbon cluster nanocomposite material

The microwave-irradiated calcination of HfOCl2/starch complex I under an air atmosphere produced the HfO2/carbon cluster composite material which is denoted as Ic. The obtained composite material could decompose methylene blue under the irradiation of light (lambda > 460 nm). The surface of Ic was loaded with CeO2 particles to obtain CeO2-loaded composite material, which can decompose the aqueous silver nitrate solution and produce O-2 and Ag in the ratio of 1:4.2. Water photo-decomposition experiment was also carried out using Pt-modified composite materials. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.