Synthesis and Photocatalytic Properties of Silver Chloride/Silver Composite Colloidal Particles
Ф. Х. Уракаев, Natalya Khan, Zh. S. Shalabaev, Batukhan Tatykaev, Rashid Nadirov, M. Burkitbaev
Abstract
AgCl/Ag composite nanoparticles have been synthesized by mechanical activation of reaction NH4Cl + AgNO3 + zNH4NO3 = (z + 1)NH4NO3 + AgCl using an untargeted reaction product (NH4NO3) as a diluent, where z = 7.22 is the dilution parameter, followed by partial photoreduction of AgCl to Ag (Ag+ to Ag0). Formation of Ag nanocrystals (about 7 nm in size) on the surface of 40-nm AgCl nanoparticles has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and absorption spectrophotometry in a wavelength range of 200‒1000 nm. Such AgCl/Ag composite particles exhibit high catalytic activity upon the photodegradation of methylene blue dye in aqueous solutions.