Nanostructured hybrid shells of r-GO/AuNP/m-TiO₂ as highly active photocatalysts.

Nanostructured hybrid shells of r-GO/AuNP/m-TiO2 were synthesized using SiO2 spheres as templates, followed by graphene oxide (GO) and Au nanoparticle (AuNP) deposition and TiO2 coating, and then post-treatments of template removal and calcination. Evaluation of their photocatalytic activity by degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under the irradiation of UV, visible light, and simulated daylight demonstrated the superior photocatalytic performance of the sandwich-like hollow hybrid shells, which could be attributed to the porous nature of the hybrid shells and the enhanced charge separation and visible-light absorption of r-GO and AuNPs.