Facile Preparation of Ag-Coated TiO2 Nanobelts and Their Photocatalytic Activities

This article describes facile preparation of Ag nanoparticles coated on TiO2 nanobelts and their visible-light photocatalysis activity toward the degradation of Rhodamine B. An Ag complex was adsorbed onto the TiO2 nanobelts by impregnation of the nanobelts into an [Ag(NH3)(2)]NO3 aqueous solution, and subsequently the Ag precursor was reduced at room temperature by a glucose solution to form Ag nanoparticle-coated TiO2 nanobelts. The visible-light photodegradation of Rhodamine B on such nanocomposite was studied and showed much higher photocatalytic activity than commercial P-25 TiO2 nanoparticles and pure TiO2 nanobelts. Using a seeding preparation procedure through dropwise addition of fresh aqueous solution of NH2NH2 and AgNO3 alternately, larger Ag particles on TiO2 nanobelts were obtained.