Photocatalytic Activity of Ag/TiO2 Composite Synthesized Using Aqueous Plant Extract from Mirabilis jalapa for Degradation of Rhodamine B Under Visible Light

Abstract

In this study, aqueous plant extract from Mirabilis jalapa has been used for the synthesis of Ag/TiO2 utilizing a green synthesis method. UV-Vis analysis revealed a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) band at 461 nm, indicating that silver nanoparticles had formed. The anatase phase of TiO2 and the presence of silver could be seen in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images for Ag and TiO2 show cuboid and irregular shapes, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of material (Ag/TiO2) was analyzed in the degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light irradiation with various concentrations of silver that were labelled as PT (pure TiO2), Ag1T, Ag2T, Ag3T, and Ag4T. The photocatalytic activity indicated that Ag2T has the highest catalytic activity among all catalysts after 240 minutes of reaction time. Furthermore, this study provides Ag/TiO2 composite act as a promising candidate to resolve environmental problems.

Keywords

• ag/tio2
• green synthesis; mirabilis jalapa
• photocatalytic activity