Synthesis of a silver/TiO2 nanotube nanocomposite by gamma irradiation for enhanced photocatalytic activity under sunlight

In this study, a nanocomposite of silver loaded on TiO2 nanotubes (Ag/TNTs) was synthesized by a gamma irradiation method with a 92.42% yield. The optimized scale for Ag/TNT synthesis was 1.29 g of precursors per 100 mL solvent. The morphology and crystal structure of the Ag/TNTs were determined by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The Ag weight percentage in Ag/TNTs was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The results showed that the size of silver nanoparticles on the TNTs decreased when the precursor weight decreased. The Ag/TNT nanocomposite removed 95.45% of methylene blue under simulated sunlight irradiation and could be reused five times with an almost unchanged activity. The formation mechanism of silver nanoparticles on TNTs is also discussed.