Green chemical decoration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with polyoxometalate-encapsulated gold nanoparticles: visible light photocatalytic activities

A green, facile, one-pot synthesis of well-defined Au NPs@POM-CNTs tri-component nanohybrids is reported in this paper. The synthesis is convenient, rapid and environmentally friendly. The POMs serve as both reducing, encapsulating molecules and bridging molecules, and avoid introducing other organic toxic molecules. Most importantly, the prepared nanohybrids have been found to have enhanced photocatalytic activities under visible light irradiation. The synergistic effect of the three components in the nanohybrids leads to the enhanced photocatalytic property.