Scheme 1.

Schematic representations of “nutrients from galleries” principle to generate Ag/titanate nanocomposites: (A) represents the pristine protonated pentatitanate (H₂Ti₅O₁₁ · H₂O); (B) silver titanate (Ag₂Ti₅O₁₁ · xH₂O) prepared by exchange of protons with Ag⁺ cations; partial (C) or fully (D) Ag⁺ cations exchange with protons in the layered space and the formation of the silver nanoparticles on titanate substrates with the redox process. The unit cell (a–d; enclosed by dotted lines) are C-based centered monoclinic, which is projected along [010] direction.

Note: Open and filled circles indicate the locations at y = 0 and ½, respectively.