Silver infusion: Enhancing physical and photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide nanofibers

• Published in: The Journal of physics and chemistry of solids 2024-01, Vol.184, p.111672, Article 111672
• Main Authors: Qamar, Zahid, Farooq, Umar, Abbasi, Muhammad Ali, Rizwan, Muhammad, Ahmed, Abdullah A.A., Atif, Muhammad, Parak, Wolfgang J., Ali, Zulqurnain, Khalid, Waqas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ag-doped TiO2 nanofibers; Anatase and rutile phase; Congo red; Photocatalysis
• ISSN: 0022-3697; 1879-2553
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpcs.2023.111672

We report here titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silver-doped titanium dioxide (Ag/TiO2) nanofibers in a polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) matrix. The unique hygroscopic nature of PVP enabled better networking of ethanol-dissolved precursors. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and RAMAN spectroscopy were used to study the phase transformation of the TiO2 nanofibers due to doping, while field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) provided the surface morphology. The Ag/TiO2 nanofibers transformed from anatase to rutile phase, resulting in better conductive and photocatalytic properties. Dielectric studies suggested phase transformation related charge delocalization and enhanced mobility with increasing Ag content. The photocatalytic properties of the Ag/TiO2 nanofibers were observed via degradation of Congo Red (CR). The increasing Ag content and conversion to the rutile phase enhanced the degradation efficiency from 36 to 92% under Ultra-violet (UV)-light irradiation. Schematic representation of Congo red's photodegradation using Ag/TiO2 nanofibers. [Display omitted] •Silver doped TiO2 nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning technique.•Silver doping helped tune the phases of TiO2 nanofibers.•Successful degradation of congo red was achieved with all nanofibers.•Experimental data fitted well according to pseudo-first-order kinetics.•The 92% of removal efficiency was achieved within 180 min of contact time.