Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity using SiO₂-TiO₂ nanocomposites under UV light

SiO₂-TiO₂ nanocomposites were synthesized by the sol-gel method with different SiO₂ contents (0.125, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75%wt). The characteristics of prepared samples were obtained from x-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), UV–visible spectrophotometer, and Brunauer Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area analyzer. SiO₂-TiO₂ nanocomposites have higher UV absorption capability and a higher specific surface area compared to pure TiO₂, resulting in improved dye degradation by photocatalytic activity. The results show that the dye degradation efficiency of 0.5SiO₂-TiO₂ is higher than pure TiO₂. It can degrade the dye up to 96.91% within 2 h, while TiO₂ was able to degrade dye at 88.62%. (paper)