Coaxially Electrospun 1D TiO2/Au x ( X = 2.5, 5.0, 7.5) Heterojunction Nanofibers: Unveiling the Role of TiO2–Au x Interfaces in Carbon Monoxide Oxidation

Abstract A “silent killer” that threatens aerobic life, carbon monoxide (CO) pollution has increased due to the Earth’s ecological equilibrium being upset by rapid industrialization and excessive resource extraction. In this study, titanium dioxide nanofibers (TiO2) decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs@TiO2) were synthesized using a direct coaxial electrospinning technique, which eliminates the need for presynthesized AuNPs. The resulting AuNPs@TiO2 were evaluated for their catalytic performance in rapid CO oxidation. Catalytic activity was investigated for varying Au concentrations (2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mM) incorporated into the TiO2 framework. The catalytic performance of TiO2–Aux nanofibers varied with Au loading, with conversion efficiencies following the trend: TiO2/Au0 (673 K)