Multicompound inverse opal structures with gold nanoparticles for visible light photocatalytic activity

Abstract Multicompound inverse opal (IO) structures from titanium dioxide‑silicon dioxide (TiO2-SiO2, TSIO), titanium dioxide‑zirconium dioxide (TiO2-ZrO2, TZIO), and titanium dioxide (TIO) structures were synthesized using the self-convective method. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were deposited into synthesized multicompound IO structures by simply immersing samples in solution with AuNPs. Our results show that highly ordered IO structures were fabricated. The photocatalytic activity of multicompound IO structures without and with AuNPs was examined under UVA and visible light excitation using an in-house built gas-phase reactor. The highest photocatalytic activity under UVA illumination was observed for TSIO with AuNPs that increased the activity by 206% and 125% compared to the reference TIO structure without and with AuNPs, respectively. Additionally, photocatalytic activity was also observed under visible light excitation with AuNP deposited TZIO and TIO structures.