Photoluminescence spectroscopy as a probe of silver doped zeolites as photocatalysts

Nanoclusters of silver ions, dicyanoaurate ions, and dicyanoargentate ions doped in zeolite hosts have been prepared. Luminescence, Raman, and FT-EXAFS spectroscopies along with extended Hückel calculations indicate the formation of silver and [M(CN)2−]m (M=Au and Ag) oligomers in the zeolite host. The silver and gold nanoclusters in zeolites enhance the photodecomposition rates of NOx, malathion, and carbaryl when compared to the pollutantʹs behavior in the absence of silver doped zeolites with the observed rate increase attributed to excimer and exciplex formation.