Investigating the effects of sacrificial agents on MO dye degradation with Ag2Se nanocomposites via chemical wet method using visible light irradiation

ABSTRACT In this study, the degradation of MO (Methyl orange) dye using visible light irradiation and Ag2Se photo-catalyst was investigated. The Ag2Se photo-catalyst was synthesized via a wet chemical technique and characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) for structural analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for inner structure, Raman and UV-Vis spectroscopy for the study of its optical properties. The results showed that the Ag2Se photo-catalyst has a well-defined cubic crystal structure with a typical particle size of 50 to 76.5 nm. The UV-Vis absorption spectrum of the Ag2Se photo-catalyst revealed a strong absorption in the visible light region, indicating its potential as visible light photo-catalyst. The photocatalytic degradation of MO dye was carried out under visible light irradiation using the synthesized Ag2Se photo-catalyst. The results showed that the degradation efficiency of MO dye reached 95% after 150 min of irradiation. The degradation of MO dye was attributed to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the formation of Ag nanoclusters on the surface of the Ag2Se photo-catalyst. The stability of the Ag2Se photo-catalyst was also examined, and the results exhibited that the photo-catalyst was stable and could be reused for subsequent photocatalytic degradation experiments. The Ag2Se photo-catalyst showed an outstanding photo catalytic activity for the degradation of MO dye underneath visible light irradiation. The study proposes that the Ag2Se photo-catalyst can be used for the treatment of wastewater containing organic pollutants.