Mesoporous Au/TiO2 nanocomposite microspheres for visible-light photocatalysis

Mesoporous Au/TiO(2) nanocomposite microspheres have been synthesized by using a microemulsion-based bottom-up self-assembly (EBS) process starting from monodisperse gold and titania nanocrystals as building blocks. The microspheres had large surface areas (above 270 m(2) g(-1)) and open mesopores (about 5 nm), which led to the adsorption-driven concentration of organic molecules in the vicinity of the microspheres. Au nanoparticles, which were stably confined within the microspheres, enhanced the absorption over the broad UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopic range, owing to their strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR); as a result, the Au nanoparticles promoted the visible-light photo-induced degradation of organic compounds.