In-Situ Growth of Au on KTaO(3) Sub-Micron Cubes via Wet Chemical Approach for Enhanced Photodegradation of p-Nitrophenol

KTaO(3)/Au hetero-nanostructures were synthesized by in-situ reduction of HAuCl(4) on the surface of hydrothermally-grown KTaO(3) sub-micron cubes. The concentration of Au source was found to be a critical factor in controlling the hetero-nucleation of Au nanoparticles on the surface of KTaO(3) sub-micron cubes. Loading of Au particles on KTaO(3) nanocrystals enriched KTaO(3) additional UV-vis absorption in the visible light region. Both KTaO(3) and KTaO(3)/Au nanocrystals were shown to be active in the photo-degradation of p-nitrophenol, while the loading of Au on KTaO(3) clearly improved the photo-degradation efficiency of p-nitrophenol compared to that on bare KTaO(3) nanocrystals, probably due to the improved light absorption and charge separation.