Structural, morphological, optical and photocatalytic investigation of Ag-doped TiO2

Abstract

The pure and Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by using Titanium isoproxide (TTIP), silver nitrate sodium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. The calcined nanoparticles at 400°C were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD analyses reveal that the nanoparticles of various doping concentration were having anatase phase. The particle size was calculated by Scherrer formula and was found 11.08 nm for pure TiO2 and 8.86 nm for 6 mol % Ag doped TiO2. The morphology and nature of nanoparticles was analyzed by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), the optical absorption spectra of pure TiO2 and Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles showed that absorption edge increases towards longer wavelength from 390 nm (pure) to 450 nm (doped), also band gap energy calculated from Tauc’s plot decrease from 3.20eV to 2.92eV with increase in doing. The measurement of photocatalytic properties of pure TiO2 and Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles showed that Ag-doped TiO2 degrades MB dye more efficiently than pure TiO2.