Synthesis of mesoporous Au-TiO2 nanocomposites via a one-pot sol-gel process with enhanced photocatalytic activity

The mesoporous Au-TiO2 composites were synthesized via a one-pot sol-gel process and were characterized by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXRD), small-angle X-ray scattering patterns (SAXS), N2 sorption, and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). It is noteworthy that Au nanoparticles are well encapsulated in the mesopores/channels of TiO2 and exert no influence on the mesoscopic structure of TiO2. Photocatalytic measurements suggest that the as-synthesized mesoporous Au-TiO2 composites are efficient in H2 evolution. The amount of H2 evolution of mesoporous Au-TiO2 is twice as the Au/mesoporous TiO2 synthesized via the impregnation method, implying the superiority of our preparation method.