Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange by gold silver nano-core/silica nano-shell

The silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs), silver (Ag) NPs and gold (Au) NPs coated with SiO2 NPs (core–shell) were prepared. The sizes and morphology of the particles were indicated. The three prepared NPs were used for photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye by xenon lamp. Rate of photocatalytic degradation reaction constant and lifetime were calculated for each catalyst. Moreover, the mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction was studied.