An electroless-plating-like solution approach for the preparation of PS@TiO₂@Ag core-shell spheres

PS@TiO2@Ag spheres with triple-level core-shell nanostructures were prepared via a versatile coating procedure based on an electroless-plating-like solution deposition (EPLSD) method. A peroxo-titanium-complex (PTC) aqueous solution was used as the precursor to react with an aniline monomer in the EPLSD preparation. Aniline plays an important role in the TiO2 layer anchoring process through the swollen effects of the PS cores. As extended, peroxo-metal-complex (PMC) with the d(0) configuration can be introduced onto PS spheres to form varieties of PS@metal oxide core-shell structures by this method under mild conditions. Ag layers were then modified onto the PS@TiO2 spheres via the photocatalytic method. By the extraction of the PS cores, hollow TiO2 and TiO2@Ag spheres could be obtained. The photochemical degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV light irradiation was performed on the composite nanostructures.