| Summary: | Core−shell structured TiO<sub>2</sub> is a promising solution to promote the photocatalytic effectiveness in visible light. Compared to metal or semiconductor materials, polymers are rarely used as the core materials for fabricating core−shell TiO<sub>2</sub> materials. A novel core−shell structured polymer@TiO<sub>2</sub> was developed by using phenolic polymer (PP) colloid nanoparticles as the core material. The PP nanoparticles were synthesized by an enzyme-catalyzed polymerization in water. A subsequent sol−gel and hydrothermal reaction was utilized to cover the TiO<sub>2</sub> shell on the surfaces of PP particles. The thickness of the TiO<sub>2</sub> shell was controlled by the amount of TiO<sub>2</sub> precursor. The covalent connection between PP and TiO<sub>2</sub> was established after the hydrothermal reaction. The core−shell structure allowed the absorption spectra of PP@TiO<sub>2</sub> to extend to the visible-light region. Under visible-light irradiation, the core−shell nanosphere displayed enhanced photocatalytic efficiency for rhodamine B degradation and good recycle stability. The interfacial C−O−Ti bonds and the π-conjugated structures in the PP@TiO<sub>2</sub> nanosphere played a key role in the quick transfer of the excited electrons between PP and TiO<sub>2</sub>, which greatly improved the photocatalytic efficiency in visible light.
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