Highly Efficient Synthesis of Environmentally Friendly Ag-modified TiO₂ Nanoflowers to Enhance Photocatalytic Performance

Abstract

Ag-modified TiO₂ nanoflowers were prepared using a two-step process. The experimental process is green and free from contamination and can be synthesized directly at room temperature. Compared with pure TiO₂, Ag-modified TiO₂ enhances the absorption of visible light and effectively promotes the detachment of photoelectron pairs, Ag-TiO₂ has a significantly enhanced visible light response activity to photodecomposition of methyl orange (MO). It is shown that the strong interaction between Ag nanoparticles and TiO₂ enhances the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanoflowers. The self-made open-air reactor was used to test the photocatalytic performance of different samples. The results showed that Ag-modified TiO₂ nanoflowers had excellent photodegradation ability. After repeated photodegradation of MO, Ag-modified TiO₂ nanoflowers showed good stability.

Keywords

hydrolysis / Ag-TiO₂ / photocatalytic activity