One-step and self-assembly based fabrication of Pt/TiO2 nanohybrid photocatalysts with programmed nanopatterns

Hybrid Pt/TiO(2) nanostructures with diverse morphologies from nanodot, nanowire to mesoporous structures were obtained by a one-step synthesis based on block copolymer self-assembly. The structural transformation was easily tuned by controlling the relative amount of TiO(2) sol-gel precursor to poly(styrene-block-ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer (PS-b-PEO). These Pt/TiO(2) nanocomposites were utilized as photocatalysts with enhanced activity via synergistic coupling. Key parameters including the amount of TiO(2), types of morphology of photocatalysts, and the platinization of TiO(2) discussed in this study affected photocatalytic performance given that the hybrids were well-dispersed in nanopatterned configurations.