Solar light-driven photocatalytic degradation of Anthraquinone dye-contaminated water by engineered Ag@TiO2 core–shell nanoparticles

Abstract

The Ag core–TiO2 shell (Ag@TiO2) nanoparticles were synthesized by one-pot synthesis method followed by calcination and characterized using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The Ag@TiO2 core–shell-structured nanocatalyst was evaluated for its photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of Acid Blue-129 (AB-129), an Anthraquinone dye under solar light irradiations. The nanoparticles were engineered for efficient photocatalytic degradation of AB-129 by varying the parameters such as catalyst composition, calcination temperature, and calcination time. The catalyst composition with Ag to Ti molar ratio of 1:1.7, calcination temperature of 450°C, and time of 3 h were found to be the optimum for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of AB-129. The efficacy of Ag@TiO2 was compared with commercial TiO2, synthesized nano-TiO2, and Ag-doped TiO2 for the photocatalytic degradation of AB-129 and enhanced dye degradation was obtained with Ag@TiO2. This enhanced activity of Ag@TiO2 may be attributed to the trapping of conduction band electrons in Ag core and subsequent discharge on supply of air. Solar photocatalytic degradation of AB-129 dye using Ag@TiO2 followed Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics. Ag@TiO2 can be exploited as an efficient catalyst for the degradation of dye and textile industry wastewater.