Synthesis of V5+‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts were prepared via the ion exchange method. The catalysts were characterized using X‐ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray, X‐ray photoelectron, Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopies. The V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts show much higher photocatalytic activities than Ag/AgCl under visible light irradiation for methyl orange (MO) decomposition. Especially, the 2.0 wt% V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalyst shows the highest photocatalytic activity and also high stability after five cycles. The MO degradation rate during each cycle is almost maintained at 97%. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy and radical trapping experiments reveal that holes play an important role in the photocatalytic process.     

Highly Efficient Visible Light Plasmonic Photocatalyst Ag@Ag(Br,I)

The new plasmonic photocatalyst Ag@Ag(Br,I) was synthesized by the ion‐exchange process between the silver bromide and potassium iodide, then by reducing some Ag⁺ ions in the surface region of Ag(Br,I) particles to Ag⁰ species. Ag nanoparticles are formed from Ag(Br,I) by the light‐induced chemical reduction reaction. The Ag@Ag(Br,I) particles have irregular shapes with their sizes varying from 83 nm to 1 μm. The as‐grown plasmonic photocatalyst shows strong absorption in the visible light region because of the plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles. The ability of this compound to reduce Cr^VI under visible light was compared with those of other reference photocatalyst. The plasmonic photocatalyst is shown to be highly efficient under visible light. The stability of the photocatalyst was examined by X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The XRD pattern and XPS spectra prove the stability of the plasmonic photocatalyst Ag@Ag(Br,I).     

Synthesis of cubic Ag@AgCl and Ag@AgBr plasmonic photocatalysts and comparison of their photocatalytic activity for degradation of methyl orange and 2,4-dichlorophenol

Uniform cubic Ag@AgCl and Ag@AgBr plasmonic photocatalysts with side length of 0.7 µm were synthesized by a facile green route, in which a controllable double-jet precipitation technique was employed to fabricate homogeneous cubic AgCl and AgBr grains while a photoreduction process was used to produce Ag nanoparticles (NPs) on the surface of AgCl and AgBr grains. The synthesized samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The photocatalytic activities of Ag@AgCl and Ag@AgBr were compared using degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) under visible-light irradiation. Ag@AgBr showed higher photocatalytic activity for MO degradation but weaker activity for 2,4-DCP decomposition. Possible degradation mechanisms are proposed to interpret these contrary paradoxical experimental results.     

La掺杂 BiFeO3对苯酚光催化降解性能的影响

苯酚是一种稳定、毒性大且难降解的有机物,对人类和生态环境产生很大威胁,因此急需研发出能有效移除工业废水中苯酚污染物的方法.其中,绿色、高效的光催化氧化技术得到研究人员青睐.在半导体光催化剂中, BiFeO3具有带隙窄(2.2–2.5 eV)、化学稳定性好及成本低等优点,被看作是最有潜力的光催化剂.但是, BiFeO3存在光生电子空穴对复合率高,制备过程中易形成杂质相的缺点,使得其光催化活性很差,限制了 BiFeO3在光催化领域的应用.异种离子的引入能产生杂质能级或裁剪半导体带隙,同时促进光生载流子分离,故可考虑采用离子掺杂改性 BiFeO3的手段来抑制杂质相生成,提高载流子分离,从而提高 BiFeO3的光催化性能.本文以柠檬酸为络合剂,通过一步溶胶凝胶法合成了系列样品 Bi1-xLaxFeO3(摩尔分数x =0,0.10,0.15,0.20).通过 X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、能谱(EDS)、透射电镜(TEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、紫外可见漫反射(UV-Vis DRS)及荧光光谱(PL)等手段对不同样品的物相、形貌、表面价态和光学性能进行了表征.并通过活性物种捕获实验和羟基自由基(?OH)产生实验分析了 Bi0.85La0.15FeO3样品在苯酚降解过程中的主要活性物种和降解机理.相对于单相 BiFeO3, La改性 BiFeO3催化剂的光降解苯酚性能均有提高,其中 La最佳掺杂量为0.15.在模拟太阳光下照射180 min后, Bi0.85La0.15FeO3的光催化活性达到96%,同时 COD去除率达到81.53%,并表现出好的循环使用活性和稳定性.研究发现,该光催化过程中主要的活性物种为?OH. XRD, SEM, TEM和 EDS结果表明, La元素掺杂进 BiFeO3结构中,且各元素分布均匀,同时,适量 La元素掺杂能有效抑制杂质相 Bi25FeO40的形成,而且 La掺杂 BiFeO3样品的颗粒尺寸略有减小,有利于电子空穴转移. XPS显示, La改性 BiFeO3样品的表面有氧空位形成,将有利于有机物的吸附和降解;另外,羟基氧和吸附氧含量增大,有利于活性氧物种形成. UV-Vis DRS和 PL测试证明, La改性后的样品对可见光的响应增强,样品带隙变窄,产生杂质能级,抑制了光生载流子复合,有利于产生更多载流子来促进活性物种形成,从而提高光催化活性.氧物种捕获实验说明,在 Bi0.85La0.15FeO3参与的苯酚降解过程中的主要活性物种是?OH,同时?OH的产生实验也证明了在光照下?OH在 Bi0.85La0.15FeO3光催化剂表面持续产生,并提出了光催化降解机理.     

Photo Catalytic Degradation of Azo Dyes over Mn2+ Doped TiO2 Catalyst under UV/Solar Light:An Insight to the Route of Electron Transfer in the Mixed Phase of Anatase and Rutile

Mn²⁺ ion was doped into the TiO₂ matrix and its photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the degradation of a mono azo dye methyl orange (MO) and a di‐azo dye brilliant yellow (BY) under UV/solar light. X‐ray diffraction results revealed the phase transformation from anatase to rutile due to the inclusion of Mn²⁺ ion into the TiO₂ matrix. All the doped catalysts showed a red shift in the band gap to the visible region. The degradation reaction of the dyes was found to be dependent on its structure. It was found that mono azo dye degrades faster than di azo dye under UV/solar light. The rate constant under identical conditions calculated for the degradation of MO is 2.4 times (under UV light) and 4.5 times (under solar light) higher compared to BY. Among the photocatalysts studied, Mn²⁺(0.06 at.%)‐TiO₂ showed higher activity under both UV and solar light illumination. The synergestic effect in the bicrystalline framework of anatase and rutile effectively suppresses the charge carrier recombination and enhances the photocatalytic activity. The degradation reaction was followed by UV‐visible spectroscopy and the photoproducts formed were analyzed by GC‐MS techniques.     

Photocatalytic Activity of Fe and Ce Co‐doped Mesoporous TiO2 Catalyst under UV and Visible Light

The catalysts of un‐doped, single‐doped and co‐doped mesoporous titanium dioxide (MTiO₂) were prepared by a template method with tetrabutyltitanate (Ti(OC₄H₉)₄) as a Ti source material and Pluronic P123 as a template. The photo‐absorbance of the obtained catalysts was measured by UV‐vis absorption spectroscopy, and the photocatalytic activities of the prepared samples under UV and visible light were estimated by measuring the degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) (50 mg/L) in an aqueous solution. It was shown that the co‐doped MTiO₂ could be activated by visible light and could thus be used as an effective catalyst in photo‐oxidation reactions. The effect of Fe and Ce co‐dopants on the material properties was investigated by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N₂ adsorption‐desorption isotherm measurement. The characterizations indicated that the photocatalysts possessed a homogeneous pore diameter of ca. 10 nm with high surface area of ca. 150 m²/g. The photocatalytic activity of MTiO₂ co‐doped with Fe and Ce was markedly improved due to the synergistic actions of the two dopants.     

Zeolite‐Supported Gold Nanoparticles for Selective Photooxidation of Aromatic Alcohols under Visible‐Light Irradiation

With new photocatalysts of gold nanoparticles supported on zeolite supports (Au/zeolite), oxidation of benzyl alcohol and its derivatives into the corresponding aldehydes can proceed well with a high selectivity (99 %) under visible‐light irradiation at ambient temperature. Au/zeolite photocatalysts were characterised by UV/Vis, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), TEM, XRD, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Brauner–Emmet–Teller (BET) analyses, IR and Raman techniques. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of gold nanoparticles, the adsorption capability of zeolite supports and the molecular polarities of aromatic alcohols were demonstrated to have an essential correlation with the photocatalytic performances. In addition, the effects of light intensity, wavelength range and the role of molecular oxygen were investigated in detail. The kinetic study indicated that the visible‐light irradiation required much less apparent activation energy for photooxidation compared with thermal reaction. Based on the characterisation data and the photocatalytic performances, we proposed a possible photooxidation mechanism.     

Visible‐light photocatalytic activity of Ag@MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres

Ag nanoparticle (NP)‐decorated MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres (Ag@MIL‐125(Ti)) were firstly fabricated via a facile hydrothermal and following photo‐reduction method. The photocatalysts were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The characterization results indicated that Ag NPs were dispersed on the surface of MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres, and the Ag NPs had a uniform diameter of about 40 nm. The composites exhibited excellent visible‐light absorption, due to the modification with the Ag NPs. The photocatalytic activity for the visible‐light‐promoted degradation of Rhodamine B was improved through the optimization of the amount of Ag loaded as a co‐catalyst, this amount being determined as 3 wt%. Additionally, studies performed using radical scavengers indicated that O₂^? and e^? served as the main reactive species. The catalyst can be reused at least five times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. Furthermore, a photocatalytic mechanism for degradation of organics over Ag@MIL‐125(Ti) is also proposed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microemulsion synthesis, characterization of highly visible light responsive rare Earth-doped bi(2) o(3)

In this paper, Bi₂O₃ and rare earth (La, Ce)‐doped Bi₂O₃ visible‐light‐driven photocatalysts were prepared in a Triton X‐100/n‐hexanol/cyclohexane/water reverse microemulsion. The resulting materials were characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, photoluminescence spectra (PLS) and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The XRD patterns of the as‐prepared catalysts calcined at 500°C exhibited only the characteristic peaks of monoclinic α‐Bi₂O₃. PLS analysis implied that the separation efficiency for electron‐hole has been enhanced when Bi₂O₃ was doped with rare earth. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurements presented an extension of light absorption into the visible region. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by degradation of methyl orange (MO) and 2,4‐dichlorophenol (2,4‐DCP). The results displayed that the photocatalytic activity of rare earth‐doped Bi₂O₃ was higher than that of dopant‐free Bi₂O₃. The optimal dopant amount of La or Ce was 1.0 mol%. And the mechanisms of influence on the photocatalytic activity of the catalysts were discussed.     

Photodegradation of Rhodamine B on Sulfur Doped ZnO/TiO2 Nanocomposite Photocatalyst under Visible-light Irradiation

Sulfur doped ZnO/TiO₂ nanocomposite photocatalysts were synthesized by a facile sol‐gel method. The structure and properties of catalysts were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV‐vis diffusive reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and N₂ desorption‐adsorption isotherm. The XRD study showed that TiO₂ was anatase phase and there was no obvious difference in crystal composition of various S‐ZnO/TiO₂. The XPS study showed that the Zn element exists as ZnO and S atoms form SO^2?₄. The prepared samples had mesoporosity revealed by N₂ desorption‐adsorption isotherm result. The degradation of Rhodamine B dye under visible light irradiation was chosen as probe reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the ZnO/TiO₂ nanocomposite. The commercial TiO₂ photocatalyst (Degussa P25) was taken as standard photocatalyst to contrast the prepared different photocatalyst in current work. The improvement of the photocatalytic activity of S‐ZnO/TiO₂ composite photocatalyst can be attributed to the suitable energetic positions between ZnO and TiO₂, the acidity site caused by sulfur doping and the enlargement of the specific area. S‐3.0ZnO/TiO₂ exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation after Zn amount was optimized, which was 2.6 times higher than P25.     

Ag@AgCl修饰TiO2-xCx光催化剂的制备及其可见光降解污染物性能

以钛酸丁酯和葡萄糖为原料用水热法制备了碳掺杂二氧化钛,再进一步对其进行Ag@AgCl表面修饰.用X射线衍射(XRD),X射线光电子能谱(XPS),透射电镜(TEM),BET比表面仪和紫外-可见(UV-Vis)漫反射光谱等手段对样品进行测试表征;在可见光辐射下(λ＞420 nm),以甲基橙和苯酚溶液的光催化降解实验来评价样品的活性.结果表明:经Ag@AgCl修饰后,样品的粒径增大,比表面积减小,对可见光的响应增强;可见光光催化效率有大幅度提高,对甲基橙和苯酚的降解效率分别是修饰前的5.5和3.4倍,且光催化剂经三次循环使用后活性基本保持不变.     

Direct Photocatalysis for Organic Synthesis by Using Plasmonic‐Metal Nanoparticles Irradiated with Visible Light

Recent advances in direct‐use plasmonic‐metal nanoparticles (NPs) as photocatalysts to drive organic synthesis reactions under visible‐light irradiation have attracted great interest. Plasmonic‐metal NPs are characterized by their strong interaction with visible light through excitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Herein, we review recent developments in direct photocatalysis using plasmonic‐metal NPs and their applications. We focus on the role played by the LSPR of the metal NPs in catalyzing organic transformations and, more broadly, the role that light irradiation plays in catalyzing the reactions. Through this, the reaction mechanisms that these light‐excited energetic electrons promote will be highlighted. This review will be of particular interest to researchers who are designing and fabricating new plasmonic‐metal NP photocatalysts by identifying important reaction mechanisms that occur through light irradiation.     

Preparation and characterization of Ag@AgCl-doped fly ash cenospheres for photocatalytic applications

A plasmonic photocatalyst composite based on Ag@AgCl and fly ash cenospheres was successfully prepared through a two-step method. X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy were used to determine the structure and optical properties of the Ag@AgCl-doped fly ash cenospheres (denoted Ag@AgCl/FAC). SEM micrographs showed that Ag@AgCl was well deposited on the surface of the fly ash cenospheres. Photocatalytic experiment results showed that the degradation ratio increased with increasing dosage of Ag@AgCl/fly ash cenospheres; proper concentration of pollutant was important for the photocatalytic reaction for given amount of catalyst. Moreover, improved degradation of rhodamine B was observed at acidic conditions under visible-light irradiation. This excellent catalytic ability is mainly attributed to the formation of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of the fly ash cenospheres and the high separation efficiency of photoelectron–hole pairs.     

棒状结构Pt/PbWO4微米晶的合成、表征及其高光催化性能

PbWO4是一类重要的半导体,广泛运用于高能物理领域无机闪烁晶体.它具有许多独特的物理性能,如衰减时间短(10 ns)、能量密度高(8.28 cm3)、低光产率(300 photons/MeV)、短辐射长度(0.9 cm)和高抗辐照损伤等. PbWO4纳米晶体的激子荧光、热荧光和其它光学性能主要取决PbWO4晶体的形貌和微观结构.目前已经合成了不同结构的PbWO4纳米/微米晶体,如四角双锥微米晶、微米球、纳米棒、纳米纺垂体等.近年来, PbWO4的光催化性能也引起人们的重视.研究发现, PbWO4晶体的光催化性能和其形貌、微观结构密切相关.如在不同形貌的十四面体、三维多尺度微米球和纳米颗粒中, PbWO4微米球表现了极高的光催化活性.此外, PbWO4微米球由于密度大,非常容易分离,从而有利于其回收利用,在循环使用时具有很高的稳定性.因此,合成具有特殊形貌的PbWO4纳米/微米晶体具有重要的理论和现实意义.此外,合成贵金属/半导体复合纳米结构是提高光催化性能的另一有效策略.在贵金属/半导体复合纳米结构中,光生电子(e–)和(h+)的复合可以在很大程度上得到抑制,因为光生e–可以快速地迁移至贵金属颗粒中心,从而加速e–和h+的分离.本文利用水热结合焙烧法首先合成了长度大于1μm的棒状PbWO4微米晶.然后利用光化学沉积法,在PbWO4微米晶表面沉积不同含量(0.5 wt%,1 wt%,和2 wt%)的Pt纳米粒子.利用X射线衍射(XRD)、N2物理吸附、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、光电子能谱(XPS)、光致发光谱(PL)和紫外-可见漫反射吸收光谱(UV-Vis DRS)等手段对所制PbWO4和Pt/PbWO4进行了表征.表征结果表明,合成的PbWO4和Pt/PbWO4的比表面积很小(1.5–1.9 m2/g),沉积的Pt纳米粒子为金属态. UV-Vis DRS测试表明,沉积的Pt纳米粒子在光照下可以产生表面等离子共振,促进可见光的吸收.另外, PL的结果则证实Pt纳米粒子的存在还可抑制PbWO4晶体在光照下产生的光生e–和h+的分离.而XRD和高分辨TEM分析表明PbWO4微米棒的晶体生长方向为(–102)晶体方向.电子选区衍射表明,棒状PbWO4微米晶具有极高的结晶度.以氙灯为光源进行了光催化降解染料酸性橙II的光催化性能测试.结果表明,当沉积1–2 wt%Pt纳米粒子时,可使光催化活性提高2倍左右.另外, Pt/PbWO4微米棒的密度较大,非常容易进行离心分离催化剂及其循环使用.在第一次使用时酸性橙II的降解率为93%,而在第四次使用时酸性橙II的降解率仍维持在88%,表现出很好的光催化稳定性. Pt/PbWO4具有很高的光催化活性的原因,一方面是由于其具有很高的结晶度和独特的棒状结构,另一方面是由于沉积的Pt纳米粒子在光照下可以产生表面等离子共振,促进了可见光的吸收和光生e–与h+的分离.     

Ti‐Based Catalysts and Photocatalysts: Characterization and Modeling

This perspective article aims to underline how cutting‐edge synchrotron radiation spectroscopies such as extended X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS), X‐ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), high resolution fluorescence detected (HRFD) XANES, X‐ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and resonant inelastic X‐ray scattering (RIXS) have played a key role in the structural and electronic characterization of Ti‐based catalysts and photocatalysts, representing an important additional value to the outcomes of conventional laboratory spectroscopies (UV‐Vis, IR, Raman, EPR, NMR etc.). Selected examples are taken from the authors research activity in the last two decades, covering both band‐gap and shape engineered TiO₂ materials and microporous titanosilicates (ETS‐10, TS‐1 and Ti?AlPO‐5). The relevance of the state of the art simulation techniques as a support for experiments interpretation is underlined for all the reported examples.     

Microwave‐Hydrothermal Preparation and Visible‐Light Photoactivity of Plasmonic Photocatalyst Ag‐TiO2 Nanocomposite Hollow Spheres

Visible‐light‐driven plasmonic photocatalyst Ag‐TiO₂ nanocomposite hollow spheres are prepared by a template‐free chemically‐induced self‐transformation strategy under microwave‐hydrothermal conditions, followed by a photochemical reduction process under xenon lamp irradiation. The prepared samples are characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption‐desorption isotherms, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV/Vis and Raman spectroscopy. Production of ?OH radicals on the surface of visible‐light illuminated TiO₂ was detected by using a photoluminescence method with terephthalic acid as the probe molecule. The photocatalytic activity of as‐prepared samples was evaluated by photocatalytic decolorization of Rhodamine B (RhB) aqueous solution at ambient temperature under visible‐light irradiation. The results show that the surface plasmon absorption band of the silver nanoparticles supported on the TiO₂ hollow spheres was red shifted, and a strong surface enhanced Raman scattering effect for the Ag‐TiO₂ nanocomposite sample was observed. The prepared nanocomposite hollow spheres exhibits a highly visible‐light photocatalytic activity for photocatalytic degradation of RhB in water, and their photocatalytic activity is higher than that of pure TiO₂ and commercial Degussa P25 (P25) powders. Especially, the as‐prepared Ag‐TiO₂ nanocomposite hollow spheres at the nominal atomic ratio of silver to titanium ( R ) of 2 showed the highest photocatalytic activity, which exceeds that of P25 by a factor of more than 2.     

Facile Synthesis of BiOI Nanoparticles at Room Temperature and Evaluation of their Photoactivity Under Sunlight Irradiation

In this study, highly photoactive BiOI nanoparticles (NPs) under sunlight irradiation were synthesized by a facile precipitation method using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) at room temperature. The as‐prepared catalysts were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transition electron microscopy (TEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV–vis DRS). The results of XRD showed that PVP did not have any significant effect on tetragonal crystalline structure of BiOI. Also, using different amounts of PVP in the synthesis led to different morphologies and sizes of BiOI particles. It was found that using 0.2 g of PVP in the synthesis method changed morphology from 1‐μm platelets to NPs with size under 10 nm. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of prepared photocatalysts was evaluated in the photodegradation of reactive blue 19 (RB19) dye under sunlight irradiation. The BiOI synthesized using 0.2 g PVP (BiOI0.2) showed higher degradation efficiency compared to BiOI prepared without any additive. Excellent visible light photocatalytic properties of nano‐scaled BiOI0.2 samples compared to BiOI platelets could be attributed to higher surface‐to‐volume ratio and narrow band‐gap energy of as‐prepared BiOI0.2 NPs.     

Ti~(3+)自掺杂的纳米TiO_2的制备及其可见光催化性能

以TiH2为Ti源,H2O2为氧化剂,首先通过表面氧化得到不同状态的前驱体凝胶,然后采用后续水热处理制备Ti3+自掺杂的纳米Ti O2.考察了前驱体凝胶状态及水热处理时间对材料结构和性能的影响.利用X射线衍射、透射电子显微镜、X射线光电子能谱、电子顺磁共振波谱和紫外-可见漫反射光谱手段对样品进行表征.以次甲基蓝溶液为模拟废水评价样品的可见光催化降解性能.结果表明,与纯Ti O2相比,Ti3+的自掺杂使材料在可见光区有明显的吸收,并具有良好的可见光催化降解性能和循环使用性能.当采用黄色凝胶为前驱体时,在160°C下水热处理24 h所得样品在可见光下光催化降解次甲基蓝的反应速率常数(0.0439 min-1)是纯Ti O2的18.3倍.     

Effect of Erbium on the Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2/Ag Nanocomposites under Visible Light Irradiation

Erbium co‐doped TiO₂/Ag catalysts are synthesized by using a simple, one‐step solvothermal method and characterized by X‐ray diffraction, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman analysis, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The catalysts exhibit anatase crystal structures with increased visible light absorption compared with pure TiO₂. Enhanced photocatalytic activity is observed with Er co‐doped TiO₂/Ag nanocomposites for Rhodamine B degradation under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of 1 % Er co‐doped TiO₂/Ag is much higher than that of TiO₂/Ag, TiO₂/Er, pure TiO₂, and commercial Degussa P25. The kinetics of the degradation process are studied and the pseudo‐first‐order rate constant (k) and half‐life time (t_1/2) of the reaction are calculated. The enhanced activity might be accredited to the efficient separation of electron–hole pairs by silver and higher visible light absorption of TiO₂ induced by Er.