Au nanoparticle homogeneously decorated C@TiO2 for enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity

Abstract

Highly efficient visible-light-driven photocatalysts i.e. Au–C@TiO₂ have been prepared by a facile and reproducible impregnation–precipitation process. The structure and properties of the photocatalysts were characterized by HRTEM, EDS elemental mapping, XPS, UV-vis and PL techniques. It is found that 6 nm-sized Au nanoparticles are homogeneously decorated within amorphous C@TiO₂. The amorphous carbon shell has been demonstrated to be able to extend the photoresponse range of C@TiO₂. The plasmonic Au nanoparticles loaded within C@TiO₂ greatly improve visible light absorption, charge separation efficiency and transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes. As a result, in the degradation experiments of RhB and 1-NP, the visible-light photocatalytic activity of Au-decorated C@TiO₂ can be greatly enhanced by Au nanoparticles and a carbon shell. We envision that such a high efficiency Au–C@TiO₂ photocatalyst prepared via a facile impregnation–precipitation method may be a promising candidate for organic pollutant degradation.