Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B Dye by TiO2 and Gold Nanoparticles Supported on a Floating Porous Polydimethylsiloxane Sponge under Ultraviolet and Visible Light Irradiation

A combination of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) with semiconductor photocatalysts, called plasmonic photocatalysts, can be a good candidate for highly efficient photocatalysts using broadband solar light because it can greatly enhance overall photocatalytic efficiency by extending the working wavelength range of light from ultraviolet (UV) to visible. In particular, fixation of plasmonic photocatalysts on a floating porous substrate can have additional advantages for their recycling after water treatment. Here, we report on a floating porous plasmonic photocatalyst based on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-TiO2-gold (Au) composite sponge, in which TiO2 and Au NPs are simultaneously immobilized on the surface of interconnected pores in the PDMS sponge. This can be easily fabricated by a simple sugar-template method with TiO2 NPs and in situ reduction of Au NPs by the PDMS without extra chemicals. Its ability to decompose the organic pollutant rhodamine B in water was tested under UV and visible light, respectively. The results showed highly enhanced photocatalytic activity under both UV and visible light compared to the PDMS-TiO2 sponge and the PDMS-Au sponge. Furthermore, its recyclability was also demonstrated for multiple cycles. The simplicity of fabrication and high photocatalytic performance of our PDMS-TiO2-Au sponge can be promising in environmental applications to treat water pollution.