Effect of Embedded Plasmonic Au Nanoparticles on Photocatalysis of Electrospun TiO₂ Nanofibers

The present study demonstrates an original approach by which Au nanoparticles (∼10 nm) are embedded into TiO₂ fibers via electrospinning. The photocatalytic performance of the resultant fibrous material was studied and related to the architecture and the nature of the internal interfaces in the composite. It was found that embedment of nano Au particles into the TiO₂ fiber significantly improved the photocatalytic performance as compared to non-embedded ones. Electrospun fibers with the Au nanoparticles (∼10 nm) showed an average fiber diameter of ∼380 nm. The photocatalytic studies of Au embedded TiO₂ fibers using ultra-violet (UV) visible spectroscopy showed ∼35% increase in photocatalytic activity when compared to the TiO₂ fibers without the Au nanoparticles after 7 hrs of UV irradiation. This increase in photocatalysis was attributed to the ability of Au to increase charge separation in TiO₂ and also to the ability of Au to transfer plasmonic energy to the dye.