Rational Design of Bearing-Construction Nanoreactor for Photocatalytic Application

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were homogeneously deposited on the surface of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) and then encapsulated by an outer titanium oxide (TiO₂) layer. This SiO₂/Ag/TiO₂ geometry (denoted as SiO₂-Ag@TiO₂ nanoreactor, where “@” denotes a gap) composite was successfully developed via a conventional sacrificial method followed by partial etching. This special SiO₂, Ag, TiO₂ bearing-construction (BC) catalyst exhibits superior catalytic and exceptional stability performance when used in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet light (UV light) and visible light, compared with pure TiO₂ shell and traditional Ag/TiO₂ yolk–shell (Ag-TiO₂). This enhanced catalytic efficiency is primarily attributed to synergistic effects derived from Ag NPs “locking and guarding” mechanism in the presence of amino-SiO₂ and outer TiO₂. In this regard, our rational BC design concept proposed a state-of-the-art strategy and provided an opportunity to shorten the distance between theory and practical applications in solar conversion, such as water splitting technology, photovoltaic, and solar cells.