Synthesis, Characterization and Electrocatalytic Activity of Silver Doped-Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles

This work reports the green synthesis of silver doped-titanium dioxide (Ag-TiO2) which was carried out in aqueous gelatin solution. The Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), voltammetric and spectroscopic techniques i.e. X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR). The results from XRD indicated pure Ag-TiO2 and TiO2 powders in anatase phase with an average crystallite size of 11 nm and 15 nm, respectively. However, Ag doped in TiO2 did not significantly affect the crystalline structure of TiO2. An efficient Ag-TiO2-based anode was fabricated by casting a solution of the synthesized Ag-TiO2 on glassy carbon electrode (Ag-TiO2/GCE). Linear scanning voltammetry (LSV) in alkaline media was performed to investigate the electrocatalytic performance of Ag-TiO2/GCE towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The OER is significantly enhanced at the Ag-TiO2/GCE, evidenced by a negative shift in the LSV curve of Ag-TiO2/GCE compared to the curve obtained at the unmodified electrode. The energy-savings value of oxygen gas at a current density of 7 mA cm(-2) was calculated as 14.4kWh kg(-1). The cost-effectiveness and stability of the modified electrode make it a potential design for application in the industrial water electrolysis process.