Structure and Formation Model of Ag/TiO2 and Au/TiO2 Nanoparticles Synthesized through Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis

This article explains the mechanism of the metal/oxide core-shell Ag/TiO2 and Au/TiO2 nanoparticle formation via one-step ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) by establishing a new model. The general knowledge on the standard “droplet-to-particle” (DTP) mechanism, nucleation, and growth processes of noble metals, as well as physical and chemical properties of core and shell materials and experimental knowledge, were utilized with the purpose of the construction of this new model. This hypothesis was assessed on silver (Ag)/titanium oxide (TiO2) and gold (Au) TiO2 binary complex nanoparticles’ experimental findings revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam (FIB), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and simulation of crystal lattices. It was seen that two mechanisms run as proposed in the new model. However, there were some variations in size, morphology, and distribution of Ag and Au through the TiO2 core particle and these variations could be explained by the inherent physical and chemical property differences of Ag and Au.