Interesting electron storage phenomenon in the spherical Ag/TiO2 nanocomposites and its application for the decomposition of acetaldehyde in the dark

• The Ag/TiO2 composites have been prepared by a facile solvothermal method.
• The photogenerated charges transfer behaviors between the Ag and TiO2.
• The Ag/TiO2 composites can store photogenerated electrons for a relative long time.
• The Ag/TiO2 composite could be further used to decompose acetaldehyde in the dark.

Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite has been prepared by a facile one-step low-temperature solvothermal method. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements have been used to characterize the detailed structure of the as-synthesized nanocomposite and the results indicate that the nanocompoiste is with the spherical structure and Ag and TiO2 nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed in the sphere. Surface photovoltage (SPV) and transient photovoltage (TPV) techniques were used to further investigate the charge transfer behavior between the TiO2 and Ag in this composite material, and the results reveal that the nanocomposites could store the electrons for a relative long time even under air. Furthermore, these stored electrons in the nanocomposites have been successfully applied to decompose the acetaldehyde in the dark.

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