Abstract

TiO2 nanowires loaded with different amounts of Ag (1–5 mol%) were successfully fabricated by one-step hydrothermal process using titanium butyrate as a precursor in alkaline solution. The products were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Photocatalytic performance of all Ag-TiO2 samples was investigated by degradation of Rhodamine B dye under simulated sunlight. The result showed that Ag modification significantly improved the absorption of TiO2 nanowires in the visible region. The Ag-TiO2 nanowire composites with 3 mol% Ag demonstrated the best photocatalytic activity compared with other samples, which could be attributed to the enhancement of light harvesting and the decrease of charge recombination.

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