Titanium dioxide-gold nanocomposite materials embedded in silicate sol-gel film catalyst for simultaneous photodegradation of hexavalent chromium and methylene blue

► The EDAS/(TiO2-Au)nps is used to design the solid-phase thin film photocatalyst. ► Au promotes the interfacial electron transfer from TiO2 to Cr(VI) to form Cr(III). ► The holes produced at the TiO2 oxidize the MB dye. ► The EDAS/(TiO2-Au)nps film was used for the simultaneous oxidation and reduction of toxic molecules. ► The photoinduced simultaneous redox process provides dual benefit for the environment remediation.