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A simple sol-gel method was employed to synthesize Fe doped TiO 2 nanoparticles with a controlled mole percentage of Fe. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by several standard analytical techniques. X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) of pure and Fe doped TiO 2 nanoparticles confirm the anatase phase, which is further confirmed by Raman analysis. The change in the morphology and structural modification of the material by doping concentration of Fe in TiO 2 is confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) images and FTIR study respectively. The size and shape of nanoparticles were determined by High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). The energy bandgap and recombination rate of charge carriers were studied by Optical absorption and Photoluminescence (PL) measurements respectively. Photocatalytic activity of the prepared nanoparticles was investigated through degradation of Indigo Carmine (IC) dye under visible light illumination. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) measurement was done to determine the degree of mineralization of IC-dye on photodegradation. In addition, the Photocatalytic performance of FeT_2 photocatalyst for nitrogen dioxide gas (NO 2) removal was evaluated under visible light irradiation and found to be very effective for NO 2 removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borosilicate glass system (SiO 2 -B 2 O 3 -Na 2 O-ZnO) with the addition of 3 wt% CdS was prepared by conventional melt quenching method. Amorphous nature of glass sample was confirmed by XRD measurement. Glass transition temperature and crystallization temperature was determined from DTA curve. CdS quantum dots (QDs) were grown in this glass matrix by optimized heat treatment schedule which was confirmed by XRD measurement. The growth of CdS QDs was also confirmed by optical absorption spectra and photoluminescence (PL) measurement. Energy band gap was calculated from the absorption spectra and found to decrease with increase in size of QDs. The size of QDs measured by optical absorption and it was also confirmed by HR-TEM results. The increase in size of QDs is also noticed from emission spectra which show red shift in PL intensity. The glass embedded with CdS QDs were tested for photocatalysis study and it shows 70.6% and 68.0% photodegradation efficiency for 5 ppm and 10 ppm respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ag-Fe co-doped TiO 2 were successfully synthesized by simple sol–gel method. • Visible light response of TiO 2 is improved by Ag-Fe co-doping. • Doped and co-doped nanoparticles effectively degrade the methylene blue dye. • FAT 0.25:2 is antimicrobially active and can generate hydrogen gas. Exploring the highly stable and active photocatalysts for dye degradation, antimicrobial activity, and hydrogen production in visible light has attracted much attention. Herein, Ag, Fe co-doped TiO 2 nanoparticles were prepared via a simple sol–gel method. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the nanoparticles were characterized by various scientific techniques. X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) and Raman study both verify the mixed phase of TiO 2 in FAT_0.25:2. The morphology and purity of co-doped photocatalyst were confirmed by the FE-SEM and EDAX analysis respectively. The surface composition and elemental states of the Ag, Fe, Ti, and O were studied by the XPS spectra. The HR-TEM micrograph displays the majority of spherical nanoparticles within the range of 10–22 nm. The synergistic effect of Ag and Fe narrowed the band gap of TiO 2 nanoparticles and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) induced by Ag on the TiO 2 surface significantly block the photoexcited electrons and delayed the electron-hole pair recombination rate. The optimized dose of FAT_0.25:2 exhibits an increase in the degradation efficiency of MB dye in the visible light irradiation compared to the pristine TiO 2. Besides this, photocatalyst exhibits antimicrobial activity against the S. aureus and E. coli. Furthermore, after 5 h of visible light irradiation, FAT 0.25:2 photocatalyst produces 2377.82 µmol/g of hydrogen gas from the water splitting. The possible reaction mechanism during the photocatalytic activity of FAT_0.25:2 nanoparticle is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]