Background Most dyes have aromatic rings in their structures, which make them highly toxic for human being and aquatic life. Heterogeneous photodegradation using TiO 2 nanoparticles is one of the most applied methods used for dye removal. The wide band gap of TiO 2 nanoparticles disables its use of the visible light and thus the vast potential of sunlight. To overcome this deficiency, Ag doped TiO 2 nanoparticles were loaded on Fe-ZSM-5. Methods Fe-ZSM-5@TiO 2-Ag photocatalyst was synthesized through sol-gel and hydrothermal methods to remove hazardous Reactive Red 195 (RR 195) from aqueous solution. Results Pure phase of Fe-ZSM-5@TiO 2-Ag with specific surface area of 332 m 2 /g was successfully synthesized. Formation of Ti-O-Ag functional group in the photocatalyst structure confirmed the nanocomposite form of the product. SEM and TEM images portrayed the synthesized zeolite and photocatalyst NPs in a size range of ≤100 nm with homogenous distribution of Ag doped TiO 2 on Fe-ZSM-5 surface. The band-gap energy of Fe-ZSM-5@TiO 2-Ag was calculated 1.97 eV at λ = 630 nm. Photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst under natural sunlight was investigated through photodecomposition of RR 195 in an aqueous solution. The dye photodecomposition of about 98% was achieved at photocatalyst concentration of 400 mg/L, pH of 3, and dye concentration of 50 mg/L at ambient temperature after 120 min under sunlight using 0.5 ml of TiO 2 and silver ammonium nitrate. The photocatalyst reusability was found significant after 5 frequent cycles. Conclusion The novel Ag-doped TiO 2-Fe-ZSM-5 nanocomposite with sunlight sensitivity can be a promising candidate to purify wastewater containing organic pollutants.
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