A one-pot synthesis of Ag/α-Fe2O3 nanoplates with gelatin and their photocatalytic activity

Abstract

Abstract Ag/α-Fe2O3 nanoplates with a size range of 40–60 nm were fabricated by means of a facile gelatin assisted hydrothermal technique. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that these composites consist of silver and hematite (α-Fe2O3) and the band gap of the Ag/α-Fe2O3 composite is much narrower than for the pure α-Fe2O3. Furthermore, the photocatalysis test shows that the Ag/α-Fe2O3 composite exhibits a higher photocatalytic activity than the pure α-Fe2O3 nanoplates, thereby implying that the Ag/α-Fe2O3 interfaces promote the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs and enhance the photocatalytic activity.