Enhancement of AgCrO2 by double nanometric delafossite to be applied in many technological applications

Abstract

This work reports a simple, novel, low-cost and eco-friendly synthesis of AgCrO2 nanoparticles and its double nanometric delafossite Ag2Cr2O4 nanoparticles. The rate of synthesis is much faster than other synthesis methods and this approach is suitable for production in large scale. It is the first time to report the double nanometric delafossite from AgCrO2 nanoparticles at such low temperature (250 °C) and it is suitable to be applied as photocathode in a dye-sensitized solar cell, antimicrobial and many technological applications. The as-synthesized AgCrO2 and Ag2Cr2O4 nanoparticles, including their crystal phases, morphologies, element compositions, magnetic and optical properties, have been systematically studied. By enhancing AgCrO2 nanoparticles to double nanometric delafossite Ag2Cr2O4 nanoparticles, a transformation of magnetic material type has happened from superparamagnetic to ferromagnetic behavior. The optical study revealed that Ag2Cr2O4 nanoparticles had larger values of reflectance, refractive index, real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant and optical conductivity than that of AgCrO2 nanoparticles. An Antimicrobial application had been studied for both samples. Ag2Cr2O4 nanoparticles had better antimicrobial application than that of AgCrO2 nanoparticles.