Synthesis and characterization of porphyrin–TiO2 core–shell nanoparticles as visible light photocatalyst

Abstract

A sol–gel reaction was used to prepare core–shell nanoparticles of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-21H,23H-porphine (PF6) with titania (TiO2) coating. PF6 molecules would self-assemble to form dispersed PF6 nanoparticles in water during dialysis. The resulting PF6–TiO2 core–shell nanoparticle was characterized using several methods, revealing a thin TiO2 layer coated on the surface of the PF6 nanoparticles and confirming the chemical composition of the core–shell structures. The absorption spectrum of the PF6–TiO2 core–shell nanoparticle was extended to 300–500 nm, which greatly enhanced the photocatalytic efficiency in the visible light spectrum compared to that of bare TiO2.