Incorporation of silver (I) ions within zeolite cavities and their photocatalytic reactivity for the decomposition of N2O into N 2 and O2

Abstract

Ag+/ZSM-5 catalysts were prepared by an ion-exchange method. UV-irradiation of the Ag+/ZSM-5 catalysts in the presence of N 2O led to the photocatalytic decomposition of N2O into N2 and O2 at 298 K. Investigations of the effective wavelength of the irradiated UV-light for the reaction as well as the in-situ characterization of the catalysts by means of UV-Vis, photoluminescence and FT-IR spectroscopies revealed that the photoexcitation of the Ag+ - N2O complexes formed between gaseous N2O and the isolated Ag+ ions exchanged within the zeolite cavities plays a significant role in the reaction.