Characterization and catalytic properties of nano-sized Ag metal catalyst on TiO2–SiO2 synthesized by photo-assisted deposition and impregnation methods

The photo-assisted deposition (PAD) and impregnation (img) synthesis of nano-sized Ag metal on TiO2–SiO2 are reported. The prepared catalysts were characterized by different techniques such as XRD, XAFS, TEM and nitrogen adsorption analysis. Photocatalytic reactivity using Ag–TiO2–SiO2 catalysts under visible-light condition on the oxidation of EDTA with O2 reaction was evaluated. The results have shown notable photocatalytic activity of PAD-Ag–TiO2–SiO2 which was 2 and 5 times higher than that of imp-Ag–TiO2–SiO2 and TiO2–SiO2, respectively.