Boosting Interfacial Interaction in Hierarchical Core–Shell Nanostructure for Highly Effective Visible Photocatalytic Performance

The major challenges faced by photocatalyst include poor visible-light response, low-efficient charge separation, and serious photoexcited electrons recombination. The nature of hybrid photocatalysts interfacial interaction plays a major role in improving these challenges. Here, highly active and stable visible photocatalytic performance of toxic organics mineralization is realized by a TiO2-based hierarchical core–shell nanostructure, TiO2@SrTiO3@Pt@Bi2O3@Pt (denoted as TSPBP). TSPBP simultaneously exhibits the following advantages: (1) the multilayered core–shell structure extends the visible-light response and enhances light harvesting; (2) bridging with Pt at the intermediate enhances the electron interaction between the different semiconductor layers and lowers charge transfer resistance; (3) deposition of Pt nanoparticles at the outmost layer could stabilize photoexcited electrons for suppressing charge recombination and activate the adsorbed oxygen. These beneficial factors lead to the remarkably higher visible-light photocatalytic activity of TSPBP in comparison with commercial P25 that is 90 times for formaldehyde degradation and 15 times for toluene decomposition. The strategy here would provide some new insight into designing of highly effective visible photocatalyst.