Synergetic enhancement of photocatalytic activity with a photonic crystal film as a catalyst support

Here we show a photonic crystal (PC) supported photocatalyst prepared by loading meso-C₃N₄ nanorods onto a polymeric SiO₂ colloidal crystal film, and demonstrate the synergetic enhancement of catalytic activity by using the PC substrate. Compared to the traditional three dimensional ordered macroporous structure, the current PC with high crystallinity can be prepared on a large scale following simplified procedures and its bandgap can be flexibly tuned, which makes the PC supported photocatalyst a practically usable material. It possesses higher activity than that deposited on a regular substrate and it also shows longer catalyst life and easier separation features compared with the dispersed catalyst.