Yolk-shell nanohybrids have garnered increasing interests in many applications, such as in catalysis, energy, and molecular sensing. However, their intrinsic architectural limitations have led to insufficient synergistic effects and instability which are unfavorable for nanocatalysis. Designing a unique yolk-in-shell nanostructure where the “yolk” is embedded in the “shell” can overcome this challenge to boost nanocatalysis. Herein, an unprecedented Au@TiO₂ yolk-in-shell nanocatalyst has been developed to dramatically improve the visible light photocatalysis. The as-designed Au@TiO₂ nanohybrid displays an efficient hydrogen-production (95.6 mmol h^-1 g^-1, Au: 0.04 wt%), 3- and 14-times better than conventional Au@TiO₂ yolk-shell nanostructure and pure TiO₂ hollow nanosphere, respectively. Our unique design also notably achieves high selectivity (~100%) towards CO production (0.75 mmol h^-1 g^-1) under visible light irradiation. This unique yolk-in-shell nanoarchitecture promises enormous opportunities for the design of next-generation hybrid nanocatalysts with enhanced catalytic performances.

蛋黄-壳纳米杂化物在许多应用中引起了越来越多的兴趣，例如催化、能量和分子传感。然而，它们固有的结构限制导致协同效应不足和不稳定性，这不利于纳米催化。设计一种独特的蛋黄壳纳米结构，其中“蛋黄”嵌入“壳”中，可以克服这一挑战，促进纳米催化。在此，我们开发了一种前所未有的 Au@TiO ₂蛋黄壳纳米催化剂，以显着改善可见光光催化。所设计的 Au@TiO ₂纳米杂化物显示出高效的制氢能力（95.6 mmol h ^-1 g ^-1，Au：0.04 wt%），比传统的 Au@TiO ₂好 3 倍和 14 倍分别为蛋黄壳纳米结构和纯 TiO ₂空心纳米球。我们独特的设计还显着地实现了在可见光照射下对 CO 生成 (0.75 mmol h ^-1 g ^-1 ) 的高选择性 (~100%) 。这种独特的蛋黄壳纳米结构为设计具有增强催化性能的下一代混合纳米催化剂提供了巨大的机会。