Development of Stable Pollution Free TiO₂/Au Nanoparticle Immobilized Green Photo Catalyst for Degradation of Methyl Orange

Two types of heterogeneous nanoparticle immobilized photocatalysts viz., PSP4VP-TiO₂ and PSP4VP-TiO₂–Au were synthesized by immobilization of TiO₂ and TiO₂-Au nanoparticles individually onto the insoluble cross-linked poly(styrene)-co-poly(4-vinylpyridine) as a common matrix. These two different green photocatalysts were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, HRTEM and EDS analyses and proves that the respective nanoparticles were found to immobilize onto the matrix. The photocatalytic efficiency of these catalysts was examined using degradation of methyl orange as a model reaction and found they are excellent in UV and sunlight. The stability and recycle/reusability of the catalysts were also observed to be good.