Sustainable Environmental Application of Au@SnO2 Core@Shell Nanocrystals

Finding adaptable catalysts to support long-term environmental cleaning has become a difficult but necessary research, especially in the post pandemic era. Core@shell nanocrystals, which are made of a semiconductor shell and a metal core, have attracted a lot of interest for their potential use in the bacterial disinfection and degradation of organic dyes. In this study, Au@SnO 2 core@shell nanocrystals with tunable shell thicknesses were synthesized. Au@SnO 2 can be used as photocatalysts in light conditions to inactivate E. coli and degrade organic dyes like rhodamine B (RhB). The investigation of carrier dynamics showed that the band alignment between Au and SnO 2 produced effective charge separation, which improved the photocatalytic activity. On the other hand, Au@SnO 2 possessed peroxidase mimics features, allowing for effectively disinfecting E. coli under dark conditions. Au@SnO 2 exhibited sustained activity in E. coli disinfection under both irradiation and darkness conditions by combining the capability of photocatalytic functions with peroxidase mimics.