Loading effects of silver oxides upon generation of reactive oxygen species in semiconductor photocatalysis.

Superoxide anion radical (O(2)(-*)) and OH radical generations in suspensions of Ag metal-, Ag(2)O-, or AgO-loaded TiO(2) and BiVO(4) photocatalysts in alkaline conditions (pH 12.0) were examined by means of a luminol chemiluminescence (CL) technique and a spin-trapping fluorescence one in which terephthalic acid reacts with an OH radical to afford the highly fluorescent 2-hydroxyterephthalic acid (TAOH), respectively. The observed luminol CL intensity was remarkably enhanced by the AgO loading on TiO(2) as well as BiVO(4).