Facile synthesis of silver-salicylic acid (Modified)/TiO2-nanotube/Ti plates for UV-light promoted dye degradation

Abstract

Salicylic acid (mod)-Ag/TiO2NTs/Ti photocatalyst plates were prepared using chemical modification process of TiO2-nanotubes/Ti plates with salicylic acid and silver nanoparticles. Morphology studies exhibit that esterification between salicylic acid and-OH groups on TiO2 surface as well as deposition of Ag has been led to formation of uniform deposits on the walls of TiO2-nanotubes/Ti plates. The photocatalytic activity of the plates was tested on the degradation of Methylene Orange (MO) dye. The activity tests showed that the photodegradation efficiency for salicylic acid(mod)-Ag/TiO2NTs/Ti is higher than for Ag/TiO2NTs/Ti, salicylic acid(mod)/TiO2NTs/Ti and TiO2NTs/Ti plates, showing the integration the photocatalytic advantages of both Ag-TiO2 and salicylic acid-Mod-TiO2 composites. The modified plates can eliminate 96.6% of MO under UV light irradiation after 1 h, while can be recycled 4 times with 72.9% degradation ratio. Improved surface adsorption of MO, fast charge separation and slow electron-hole recombination are the main factors being responsible for the increase the photocatalytic activity of salicylic acid (mod)-Ag/TiO2-nanotubes/Ti plate.