Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B using gold nanoparticles decorated on BaTiO₃ with surface plasmon resonance enhancement

This study focused on synthesizing and applying gold nanoparticle (Au NP) decorated barium titanate (BaTiO₃) nanoparticles for photocatalytic purposes. BaTiO₃ NPs were synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method. Various techniques were employed to characterize the structure and morphological characteristics of the prepared materials. The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B over the Au NPs-modified BaTiO₃ photocatalysts was studied. Trapping experiments were conducted using different scavengers to elucidate the degradation mechanism and the involvement of photogenerated species. The incorporation of an appropriate amount of Au NPs into the composites resulted in a significant improvement in photocatalytic activity, attributed to the combined effect of Schottky junction at the interface and the surface plasmon resonance of Au NPs.