The Influence of Ag Doping on Structural, Optical Properties and Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2/SiO2 Nanocomposite

In the present study, TiO2/SiO2 and TiO2/SiO2/Ag nanocomposite powders were synthesized by sol-gel technique. Moreover, for investigation of the Ag doping effect different concentrations of dopant were added. Structures were characterized by IR spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Analytical X-Ray (EDAX), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) methods. Furthermore, the absorption coefficients of the samples were analyzed by Tauc’s model and the direct band gaps were calculated. Photocatalytic activity of all samples was investigated under UV irradiation in an aqueous medium. The results were shown that photocatalytic activity improves in the presence of appropriate amount of Ag as dopant.