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Photoreduction synthesis of silver on Bi2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites and their catalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange

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Abstract

This paper demonstrates the preparation of pure TiO2, 40% of Bi2O3 in TiO2 and Ag loaded Bi2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites by the hydrothermal method followed by the photoreduction process. The crystal structure, morphology and composition of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy respectively. The dispersion of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of Bi2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites are found to bring the conduction band near to the valence band, resulting in the narrow band gap compared to pure TiO2 and Bi2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites. The XRD analysis demonstrated that silver nanoparticles were dispersed finely on the surface of Bi2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites. All the characterization results revealed that the Ag/Bi2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites were smaller crystallite size, stronger absorbance in the visible region and greater surface area than pure TiO2 and Bi2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites. The photoluminescence intensity decreases with an increase in the UV-illumination time of Ag loaded Bi2O3/TiO2 revealing a decrease in the recombination rate of electron–hole pairs. In order to test them as a photocatalyst, methyl orange was used as a standard. The photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange shows that the ABT5 sample exhibits the maximum degradation efficiency of 99% within 180 min of irradiation.

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Acknowledgements

One of the authors M. Malligavathy would like to thank UGC, New Delhi for BSR fellowship. The authors thank SAIF, IIT Madras for recording HR-SEM and FT-Raman measurement and also thank IIT, Bombay for recording TEM measurement. The authors acknowledge the UGC-SAP-DRB-II for the financial assistance rendered to the Department of Physics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, 627 012, India

    M. Malligavathy & D. Pathinettam Padiyan

  2. PG & Research Department of Physics, Thanthai Hans Roever Arts and Science College, Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, India

    S. Iyyapushpam

  3. Electrochemical Materials Division, Central Electro Chemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India

    S. T. Nishanthi

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  1. M. Malligavathy
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Correspondence to M. Malligavathy.

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Malligavathy, M., Iyyapushpam, S., Nishanthi, S.T. et al. Photoreduction synthesis of silver on Bi2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites and their catalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 28, 18307–18321 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-017-7777-6

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