Cooperative and Fully Reversible Photocatalytic Colour Switching Activation in Graphene-Copper-TiO2 Nanoparticles
2020
Nanostructured systems showing reversible
colour switching are envisaged to play a significant role in photo-switches,
photo-optical sensors, smart windows, displays, optical storage memories. Most
of the materials exhibiting reversible colour switching are organic compounds. However,
their UV-light activation, low thermal and chemical stability, as well as harmful
synthesis methods, are of limit for their extensive use. In this research, we
have created an inorganic switchable photochromic material exploiting: (i) TiO2
ability of creating an exciton upon excitation, (ii) copper as the chromophore, and (iii) graphene’s extraordinarily high electron mobility. Our material showed itself
to be able to work under visible-light, its photochromic property being three
times faster than conventional titania based photochromic materials, reaching a
stable change in colouration after only 30 mins of visible-light irradiation (versus > 120 min in conventional
Cu-TiO2). With the addition of just 1 wt% graphene, the material
exhibited a staggeringly stable photochromic switching over repeated cycles. These
results relate to the best previously reported values for any form of TiO2-based
photochromic material. This is therefore an excellent candidate for smart self-cleaning
windows, and other chromic devices and applications.
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