Synergistic combination of Au-loaded and the facet of 3D SrTiO3 nanocube-based charge carrier in plasmonic photocatalysis

Metal-induced photocatalysis, as a promising approach in charge transfer and surface catalytic reactivity, is required for highly efficient photocatalytic reactions in various environmental remediation applications. Herein, the well-defined Au as a cocatalyst support was anchored on the surface of three-dimensional high-symmetry (3D) SrTiO3 (STO) nanocubes, which not only promotes the efficiency of charge separation and transport by facilitating the interface reaction dynamics but also enhances the visible light-harvesting capability based on the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Au nanoparticles (NPs). As a result, the characterizations of as-obtained hybrid photocatalyst Au–STO nanocubes exhibited considerably improved photocatalytic behavior for the decomposition of an organic dye under the same conditions. The corresponding rate constant (k) of 0.0268 min−1 and 0.0164 min−1 was 3 and 32 times better than that of the bare STO under UV and visible light, respectively. Furthermore, the outcomes showed that the photocatalytic degradation efficiency remained relatively stable in several cycles. This work provided a feasible design to combine promising perovskite oxides with the noble metal system for potential application in the field of water remediation.