Photocatalytic performance of Ag/TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposite synthesized by eco-friendly pulsed laser ablation technique

Sequestration of organic pollutants using nano-photocatalysts is considered an efficient and cost-effective approach for wastewater treatment. Here, Ag/TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposites containing different loads of Ag (0%, 1% and 3%) were prepared using a laser ablation technique. The Ag nanoparticles were synthesized using A Q-switched laser beam of 1064 nm, 60 mJ pulse energy, and the Ag/TiO2/SiO2 was obtained with a focused laser beam at 355 nm and 120 mJ. The obtained nanostructures were analyzed with TEM, SEM, EDX, XRD, BET surface area, Raman, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Methylene blue (MB) dye was selected to evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the nanocomposites. Generally, the Ag-decorated nanocomposites offer more effective MB degradation than TiO2/SiO2 under UV-light irradiation. Interestingly, virtually complete degradation of MB was recorded with Ag/TiO2/SiO2 (1%). The superior activity shown by the Ag/TiO2/SiO2 with respect to TiO2/ SiO2 could be ascribed to the enhanced separation of photogenerated electron/hole pairs induced by Ag. This study establishes the feasibility of laser ablation in fabricating excellent-performing photocatalytic materials.