Microwaved assisted synthesis Ag2O/TiO2/CeO2 for highly efficient photocatalyst

Photocatalyst Ag2O/TiO2/CeO2 composites were prepared using the microwave assisted method. The concentration of CeO2, was varied from 25 weight percentage (wt.%) to 75 (wt.%), and the physical properties of the composites were studied by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and different thermal analysis, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The composites were confirmed by the existence of the cubic phase from Ag2O and CeO2, and the anatase structure of TiO2 nanoparticles. The thermal degradation analysis confirmed the weight lost at 400 C followed by the heat released around 200°C due to the phase transformation from Ag2O into Ag nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of Ag2O/TiO2/CeO2 composites were investigate to remove methylene blue from the aqueous solutions under alkaline condition. The degradation of methylene blue was analyzed by investigating the absorbance around 633 nm. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity results show that the Ag2O/TiO2/CeO2 composites exhibit good photocatalytic performance for removing methylene blue from the aqueous solution, indicating that the Ag2O/TiO2/CeO2 composites are promising materials for waste water treatment.