Nanocomposites and nanomaterials

Synthesis Ag/CeO2 nanocrystalline powders and nanocolloids system using plasma at atmospheric pressure for rapid photocatalytic degradation organic and pharmaceutical pollutants

Skiba M.I.1, Vorobyova V.I.2
1 Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology, 
Gagarinа ave. 8, Dnipro 49005, Ukraine
E-mail: Margaritaskiba88@gmail.com
2National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute", Peremohy ave. 37, Kyiv 03056, Ukraine

Nanocrystalline CeO2 powders were synthesized by using a plasma system at atmospheric pressure. High quality silver (Ag) decorated CeO2 nanoparticles were  prepared by a facile one-step plasma method also. Well-defined colloidal-stable citrate-stabilized Ag/CeO2 NPs have been synthesized. Cerium nitrate solution was used as a precursor. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–Visible absorption (UV–Vis), photoluminescence (PL) analysis. The decoration of Ag on CeO2 surface was confirmed by XRD, EPR and HR-TEM analysis. Different pollutants (textile day, pharmaceutical preparats was degraded under sunlight and UF-irradiation using the novel Ag decorated CeO2 catalyst. It was found that great enhancement of the degradation efficiency for Ag/CeO2 compared to pure CeO2, it can be ascribed mainly due to decrease in its band gap and charge carrier recombination rate.