Ag Nanoparticles Decorated Small-Sized AgTCNQF₄ Nanorod: Synthesis in Aqueous Solution and Its Photoinduced Charge Transfer Reactions

Abstract

A kind of functional noble metal nanoparticles and metal/organic semiconductor composite nanomaterials, Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs, 6–10 nm in diameter) decorated small-sized Ag-tetracyano-<i>p</i>-tetrafluoroquinodimethane (AgTCNQF₄) nanorods (150–400 nm in length and 60–100 nm in diameter), have been successfully synthesized through a rapid microemulsion reaction between TCNQF₄ molecules and an AgNP colloid under a soft template of poly­(ethylene glycol)-<i>block</i>-poly­(propylene glycol)-<i>block</i>-poly­(ethylene glycol). The morphology, chemical structure, and elemental composition of the prepared AgNPs–AgTCNQF₄ composite nanorods were studied by transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The real-time ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy assisted with two-dimensional correlation spectroscopic analysis was employed to explore the growth of AgNPs–AgTCNQF₄ composite nanorods in microemulsion. These composite nanorods display the photoinduced charge transfer (CT) property from the monoanion (TCNQF₄^–) to dianion (TCNQF₄^2–) selectively under 532 nm light irradiation. The larger content of AgNPs on the surface of AgTCNQF₄ led to the higher conversion of dianion due to the plasmon-assisted photocatalysis. This photoelectric composite material is promising for the applications of light-writing data storage and photocatalysis