Ag-doped ZnO thin films prepared by the SILAR method and their application in the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue
摘要
The Ag-doped ZnO thin films were deposited in glass slides using the SILAR method. They were used to degrade methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet irradiation. The cationic precursor consisted of ZnSO4, AgNO3, and NH4OH, and H2O was used as the anionic solution. After the thin film deposition, the substrates were heated at 400 °C for 2 h. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the presence of ZnO with (100), (002), and (101) planes, corresponding to the wurtzite phase, with crystallite size ranging from 32 to 39 nm. The transmittance of the thin films decreased with the amount of Ag, leading to a reduction in the bandgap from 3.19 to 2.90 eV. A 49.50% degradation of MB was achieved with ZnO thin films containing 3% Ag.
Graphical Abstract