SOL-GEL PREPARATION AND PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF TIO2 FILMSCONTAINING AU AND AG METAL PARTICLES

TiO2 film electrodes with a TiO2 overlayer containing dispersed Au or Ag metal particles were prepared by the sol-gel method, and the effect of the metal particles on the photoelectrochemical properties of the TiO2 electrodes were investigated. An increase in the anodic photocurr ent in the visible region was observed for both the Au and Ag particle dispersed electrodes, which was thought to result from the surface pl asma resonance of the metal particles. The introduction of Au metal pa rticles, however, reduced the anodic photocurrent in the ultraviolet r egion, resulting in a decrease of the anodic photocurrent under the il lumination of xenon lamp light. On the other hand, for the Ag particle dispersed electrodes, the anodic photocurrent in the ultraviolet regi on increased and then decreased with an increasing amount of Ag partic les. These effects of the dispersed metal particles on the photoelectr ochemical properties of the TiO2 electrodes were explained on the basi s of the band models.