This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Open AccessArticle
Morphology-Dependent Photocatalytic Activity of Nanostructured Titanium Dioxide Coatings with Silver Nanoparticles
1
Department of Materials Technology and Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Lodz, Pomorska 163, 90-236 Lodz, Poland
2
Department of Applied Physics, Institute of Physics—CSE, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 22 B, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
3
Department of Vehicles and Fundamentals of Machine Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(16), 8824; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25168824 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 10 July 2024
/
Revised: 9 August 2024
/
Accepted: 10 August 2024
/
Published: 13 August 2024
Abstract
This study aims to improve the photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide nanorods (TNRs) and other related nanostructures (dense nanorods, needle-like nanorods, nanoballs, and nanoflowers) by modifying them with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). This preparation is carried out using a two-step method: sol–gel dip-coating deposition combined with hydrothermal crystal growth. Further modification with AgNPs was achieved through the photoreduction of Ag+ ions under UV illumination. The investigation explores the impact of different growth factors on the morphological development of TiO2 nanostructures by modulating (i) the chemical composition, the water:acid ratio, (ii) the precursor concentration involved in the hydrothermal process, and (iii) the duration of the hydrothermal reaction. Morphological characteristics, including the length, diameter, and nanorod density of the nanostructures, were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The chemical states were determined through use of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique, while phase composition and crystalline structure analysis was performed using the Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD) method. The results indicate that various nanostructures (dense nanorods, needle-like nanorods, nanoballs, and nanoflowers) can be obtained by modifying these parameters. The photocatalytic efficiency of these nanostructures and Ag-coated nanostructures was assessed by measuring the degradation of the organic dye rhodamine B (RhB) under both ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and visible light. The results clearly show that UV light causes the RhB solution to lose its color, whereas under visible light RhB changes into rhodamine 110, indicating a successful photocatalytic transformation. The nanoball-like structures’ modification with the active metal silver (TNRs 4 Ag) exhibited high photocatalytic efficiency under both ultraviolet (UV) and visible light for different chemical composition parameters. The nanorod structure (TNRs 2 Ag) is more efficient under UV, but under visible-light photocatalyst, the TNRs 6 Ag (dense nanorods) sample is more effective.
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
Shakeel, N.; Piwoński, I.; Kisielewska, A.; Krzywiecki, M.; Batory, D.; Cichomski, M.
Morphology-Dependent Photocatalytic Activity of Nanostructured Titanium Dioxide Coatings with Silver Nanoparticles. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 8824.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25168824
AMA Style
Shakeel N, Piwoński I, Kisielewska A, Krzywiecki M, Batory D, Cichomski M.
Morphology-Dependent Photocatalytic Activity of Nanostructured Titanium Dioxide Coatings with Silver Nanoparticles. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2024; 25(16):8824.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25168824
Chicago/Turabian Style
Shakeel, Nasir, Ireneusz Piwoński, Aneta Kisielewska, Maciej Krzywiecki, Damian Batory, and Michał Cichomski.
2024. "Morphology-Dependent Photocatalytic Activity of Nanostructured Titanium Dioxide Coatings with Silver Nanoparticles" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25, no. 16: 8824.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25168824
Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details
here.
Article Metrics
Article Access Statistics
For more information on the journal statistics, click
here.
Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view.