Nanocomposite synthesis of silver doped magnesium oxide incorporated in PVC matrix for photocatalytic applications

This work reveals a sol–gel approach for synthesis of silver doped magnesium oxide (Ag:MgO) incorporated in PVC matrix to give Ag:MgO/PVC nanocomposite. On glass substrate three different percentages of Ag:MgO/PVC (3,7, and 10%) were deposited by spin coating method. This film of Ag:MgO/PVC nanocomposites were characterized using AFM, UV–Vis, XRD and FTIR analysis. The results of XRD revealed the formation of Ag doped MgO nanoparticles with two phases (MgO and metallic Ag) in the matrix of PVC with the average size of nanoparticles equal to 31.5,22.29, 23.77, 29.68 nm. The direct band gap energy for PVC and pure MgO/PVC was 4.1 eV and 3.85 eV respectively. The band gap energy value changes from 3.85 eV, 3.75 eV, 3.71 eV, 3.69 eV with increasing Ag:MgO concentration(3–10%). Atomic force microscopyalso shows a change in the roughness of the nanocomposites film with increasing Ag:MgO nanoparticles percentage. The photocatalytic activity of this nanocomposite film was evaluated for the methylene blue (MB) dye under UV light irradiation. The result demonstrated good potential of Ag:MgO/PVC nanocomposites films for MB degradation with a suitable photocatalytic reaction proposed mechanism. The kinetic studies revealed a rate constant of 6.25 × 10^–3 min⁻¹ for 10% Ag:MgO/PVC nanocomposite thin films.