CaTiO3: Influence of Ag Doping on Photocatalytic Activity for Application in Rhodamine B dye Removal

This study focuses on the preparation and characterization of silver-doped calcium titanate (CaTiO3) photocatalysts for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye. Utilizing a hydrothermal microwave-assisted method, efficient photocatalysts of pure CaTiO3 (CT) and 3% (CT3%) and 5% (CT5%) Ag-doped CaTiO3 were prepared. X-ray diffraction confirmed the orthorhombic phase of CaTiO3 with residual TiO2, more pronounced in the CT3%. Micro-Raman and FTIR spectra verified the presence of TiO2, while SEM images revealed distinctive morphologies. The band gap energy was lower in Ag-doped samples, particularly in the CT3% sample. Photocatalytic tests demonstrated superior RhB degradation with the CT3% catalyst. A 22 factorial design was used to determine the ideal condition for the photocatalysis. Photocatalysis with CT3% was efficient in toxicity removal, but stability tests indicated a decline in performance over multiple cycles. These findings suggest the potential of Ag-doped CaTiO3 as efficient photocatalysts for dye degradation.