Ag@SrTiO3 nanocomposite for super photocatalytic degradation of organic dye and catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

Mesoporous nanosheets-assembled flower-like SrTiO3/Ag nanoparticle composites with tunable Ag content were constructed via room-temperature liquid-phase deposition of Ag nanoparticles on mesoporous nanosheets-assembled flower-like SrTiO3, which was pre-synthesized by a facile solvothermal approach and subsequently annealed in air. The as-fabricated nanocomposites were Ag nanoparticles with a size of ca. 2 nm uniformly distributed on the surface of the mesoporous nanosheets-assembled flower-like SrTiO3 of about 600 nm in diameter. The Ag content on the flower-like SrTiO3 greatly affected the catalytic performance for the photodegradation of methyl orange and the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol, and there was a different optimum amount of Ag nanoparticles for the two kinds of catalytic reactions. The optimum Ag@SrTiO3 nanocomposite exhibited a much-enhanced full-arc light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange and excellent activity and stability for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol. This work provides a simple method to synthesize an Ag@SrTiO3 nanocomposite, developing a new catalyst for the photocatalytic degradation and catalytic reduction of organic pollutants.