Ultrasound aided photochemical synthesis of Ag loaded TiO2 nanotube arrays to enhance photocatalytic activity

This work presents a novel approach for preparing TiO2 nanotube array photocatalyst loaded with highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles through an ultrasound aided photochemical route. The Ag content loaded on the array was controlled by changing the concentration of AgNO3 solution. The Ag-TiO2 nanotube arrays were characterized by SEM, XRD, XPS and UV-vis absorption. The effects of Ag content on the photoelectrochemical (PEC) property and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanotube array electrode were studied. The results showed that Ag loading significantly enhanced the photocurrent and photocatalytic degradation rate of TiO2 nanotube array under W-light irradiation. The photocurrent and photocatalytic degradation rate of Ag-TiO2 nanotube array prepared in 0.006 M AgNO3 solution were about 1.2 and 3.7 times as that of pure TiO2 nanotube array, respectively. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.