Photocatalytic synthesis of silver nanoparticles stabilized by TiO2 nanorods:: A semiconductor/metal nanocomposite in homogeneous nonpolar solution

A novel colloidal approach toward semiconductor/metal nanocomposites is presented. Organicsoluble anatase TiO2 nanorods are used for the first time to stabilize Ag nanoparticles in optically clear nonpolar solutions in the absence of specific ligands for silver. Metallic silver is generated upon UV illumination of deaerated TiO2 solutions containing AgNO3. The Ag nanoparticles can be obtained in different size-morphological regimes as a function of the irradiation time, due to light-induced phototragmentation and ripening processes. A mechanism for the colloidal stabilization of the silver nanoparticles is tentatively suggested, which regards the TiO2 nanorods as inorganic stabilizers, thus acting in the same manner as conventional surfactant molecules. The proposed photocatalytic approach offers a convenient method for producing TiO2/Ag nanocomposite systems with a certain control over the metal particle size without the use of surfactants and/or additives. Stable colloidal TiO2-nanorod-stabilized Ag nanoparticles can be potentially available for a number of applications that require "clean" metal surfaces, such as homogeneous organic catalysis, photocatalysis, and sensing devices.