Fabrication of core–shell nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic efficacy

Abstract

Abstract The current study establishes the unprecedented involvement in the evolution and production of novel core–shell nanocomposites composed of nanosized titanium dioxide and aniline‐ o ‐phenylenediamine copolymer. TiO 2 @copoly(aniline and o ‐phenylenediamine) (TiO 2 @PANI‐ o ‐PDA) core–shell nanocomposites were chemically synthesized in a molar ratio of 5:1 of the particular monomers and several weights of nano‐TiO 2 via oxidative copolymerization. The construction of the TiO 2 @PANI‐ o ‐PDA core–shell nanocomposites was ascertained from Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy and XRD. A reasonable thermal behavior for the original copolymer and the TiO 2 @PANI‐ o ‐PDA core–shell nanocomposites was investigated. The bare PANI‐ o ‐PDA copolymer was thermally less stable than the TiO 2 @PANI‐ o ‐PDA nanocomposites. The core–shell feature of the nanocomposites was found to have core and shell sizes of 17 nm and 19–26 nm, respectively. In addition, it was found that the addition of a high ratio of TiO 2 nanoparticles increases the electrical conductivity and consequently lowers the electrical resistivity of the TiO 2 @PANI‐ o ‐PDA core–shell nanocomposites. The hybrid photocatalysts exhibit a dramatic photocatalytic efficacy of methylene blue degradation under solar light irradiation. A plausible interpretation of the photocatalytic degradation results of methylene blue is also demonstrated. Our setup introduces a facile, inexpensive, unique and efficient technique for developing new core–shell nanomaterials with various required functionalities and colloidal stabilities. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry