| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1554103 | Superlattices and Microstructures | 2012 | 12 Pages |
Semiconductor loaded mesoporous materials in general possess greater photocatalytic activity than pure semiconductors. Hence, with an attempt to achieve higher photocatalytic activity, Ag2S/MCM-41 photocatalysts were prepared by ion exchange method and used for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. The materials were characterized by different analytical techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and BET (Brunauer-Emmert-Teller) experiments. The effect of Ag2S, MCM-41 support and different wt% of Ag2S over the support on the photocatalytic degradation and influence of parameters such as Ag2S loading, catalyst a mount, pH and initial concentration of dye on degradation are evaluated. The degradation reaction follows pseudo-first order kinetics. It was seen that 0.6 g/L of photocatalyst is an optimum value for the dosage of photocatalyst. The degradation efficiency was decreased in dye concentration above 3.2 ppm for dye.
Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Ag2S nanostructures were prepared via a simple ion exchange process. ► The Ag2S/MCM-41 photocatalyst has shown a higher activity compared to bulk Ag2S. ► The photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, TEM, IR and BET.
