Highly visible light active Ag@TiO2 nanocomposites synthesized using an electrochemically active biofilm: a novel biogenic approach.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were decorated with different amounts of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using an electrochemically active biofilm (EAB), which is a biogenic approach that leads to the formation of Ag@TiO2 nanocomposites. UV-vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy showed AgNPs, 2-5 nm in size, well-dispersed and anchored to the TiO2 surface and overall synthesis of Ag@TiO2 nanocomposites. The photocatalytic performance of the as-synthesized Ag@TiO2 nanocomposites was evaluated in terms of their efficiency for the photodecomposition of methylene blue (MB) in an aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The nanocomposites showed exceptionally high photodecomposition efficiency (>7 times) compared to commercial TiO2 (Sigma). The enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed to the synergistic contribution of both a delayed charge recombination rate caused by the high electronic mobility of the AgNPs and the increased surface area originating from the nanometer sized AgNPs on TiO2. The nanocomposites also showed exceptionally high stability and reusability under similar experimental conditions.