One-step and self-assembly based fabrication of pt/TiO₂ nanohybrid photocatalysts with programmed nanopatterns

Hybrid Pt/TiO₂ nanostructures with diverse morphologies from nanodot, nanowire to mesoporous structures were obtained by a one-step synthesis based on block copolymer self-assembly. The structural transformation was easily tuned by controlling the relative amount of TiO₂ sol-gel precursor to poly(styrene-block-ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer (PS-b-PEO). These Pt/TiO₂ nanocomposites were utilized as photocatalysts with enhanced activity via synergistic coupling. Key parameters including the amount of TiO₂, types of morphology of photocatalysts, and the platinization of TiO₂ discussed in this study affected photocatalytic performance given that the hybrids were well-dispersed in nanopatterned configurations.