Core-Shell Structured Phenolic Polymer@TiO₂ Nanosphere with Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Efficiency

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Photocatalysis

Background:

• Titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysis is limited by its UV-light absorption.
• Developing visible-light active photocatalysts is crucial for practical applications.
• Polymers are underexplored as core materials for core-shell TiO2 photocatalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel polymer@TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles.
• To investigate the visible-light photocatalytic activity of the synthesized material.
• To understand the mechanism behind the enhanced photocatalytic performance.

Main Methods:

• Enzyme-catalyzed polymerization of phenolic polymer (PP) nanoparticles.
• Sol-gel and hydrothermal synthesis of TiO2 shell on PP cores.
• Characterization of core-shell structure and optical properties.
• Photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under visible light.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated polymer@TiO2 core-shell nanospheres with controlled TiO2 shell thickness.
• The PP@TiO2 nanospheres exhibited extended absorption into the visible-light region.
• Enhanced photocatalytic efficiency for rhodamine B degradation under visible light irradiation.
• Demonstrated good recyclability and stability of the photocatalyst.

Conclusions:

• The developed polymer@TiO2 core-shell structure effectively utilizes visible light for photocatalysis.
• Interfacial C-O-Ti bonds and π-conjugated structures facilitate efficient electron transfer, boosting photocatalytic activity.
• This novel material presents a promising strategy for visible-light-driven environmental remediation.