Combining the UV-Switchability of Keggin Ions with a Galvanic Replacement Process to Fabricate TiO₂–Polyoxometalate–Bimetal Nanocomposites for Improved Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering and Solar Light Photocatalysis

While the decoration of TiO2 surfaces with metal nanoparticles has been well-established, the modification of the composition of metal nanoparticles postdeposition onto TiO2 surfaces and applicability of such bimetallic systems for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and photocatalysis has not hitherto been investigated. In this work, we, for the first time, combine the unique UV-switchability of the Keggin ions of 12-phosphotungstic acid (PTA) to directly form metal nanoparticles (Ag and Cu) onto the colloidal TiO2 surface, with a galvanic replacement process to convert these predeposited metal nanoparticles into bimetallic systems (Ag/Au, Ag/Pt, Cu/Au, Cu/Pt, and Cu/Ag). We further demonstrate the applicability of these novel TiO2-polyoxometalate-bimetal nanocomposites toward improved SERS and solar light photocatalysis.