Synthesis of Ag-TiO 2 /perlite composite for the photodegradation of methylene blue under solar light irradiation

Abstract

In this research, photocatalytic materials of TiO2, Ag-TiO2, Ag-TiO2/perlite were synthesized by the sol-gel method. By combining the photocatalytic activity between Ag-TiO2 and Perlite mineral, the Ag-TiO2/perlite composite has overcome the disadvantages of pristine TiO2, such as high band gap energy, low light utilization and easy recombination of electrons and holes. The synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS). The photocatalytic activity of the samples was tested for degradation of methylene blue (MB) under solar light irradiation. Photodegradation studies revealed a 95% removal of MB dye via the synthesized Ag-TiO2/perlite after 150 min of irradiation. Reusability of this hybrid photocatalyst system was tested and only a 3% decrease was observed after four cycles.