Synthesis of hollow sphere structured TiO loaded with AgO and its photocatalytic activity

Owing to its high stability and catalytic activity, TiO 2 has been widely used as a photocatalyst where its photocatalytic performance can be significantly improved by microstructure regulation and semiconductor loading. Herein, hollow TiO 2 spheres were prepared using phenolic resin as the template and the Ag 2 O nanoparticles were loaded onto the TiO 2 spheres by the wet precipitation method. The physicochemical characteristics demonstrated the successful preparation of the Ag 2 O/TiO 2 nanocomposites. Various AgNO 3 concentrations were employed and the results revealed that increasing the loaded Ag amount from 16.24% to 62.25% resulted in an increase in the corresponding Ti : Ag ratio in the Ag 2 O/TiO 2 nanocomposites from 1 : 0.79 to 1 : 10.48, respectively. The bandgap of the synthesized Ag 2 O/TiO 2 nanocomposites was in the range of 1.61-1.75 eV. The photodegradation rate of phenol in the presence of Ag 2 O/TiO 2 as the catalyst reached 95.2% under UV light irradiation which was much higher than that under visible light irradiation. This improvement can be attributed to the synergistic effect of Ag 2 O and TiO 2 . The loading of Ag 2 O induced more electron traps on the surface of the Ag 2 O/TiO 2 composites, thereby increasing the mobility of the carrier and thus improving the catalytic activity. Owing to its high stability and catalytic activity, TiO 2 has been widely used as a photocatalyst where its photocatalytic performance can be significantly improved by microstructure regulation and semiconductor loading.