Ag‐Doped α‐Fe ₂ O ₃ Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B

ABSTRACT Silver‐doped α‐Fe 2 O 3 (Ag/α‐Fe 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized and systematically investigated to elucidate the effect of Ag incorporation on their structural, morphological, optical, and photocatalytic properties. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the formation of single‐phase rhombohedral α‐Fe 2 O 3 , while a minor shift in diffraction peak positions, indicating variations in lattice parameters, along with changes in crystallite size. FESEM analysis revealed nearly spherical nanoparticles with improved surface uniformity upon Ag doping. UV–vis absorption studies demonstrated enhanced visible‐light absorption and a noticeable reduction in the optical band gap for Ag‐doped samples, attributed to the evolution of defect‐induced energy states. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results verified the existence of Fe 3+ and lattice oxygen in α‐Fe 2 O 3 , along with metallic Ag, verifying the existence of silver in the doped samples. Compared to pristine α‐Fe 2 O 3 , Ag‐doped α‐Fe 2 O 3 exhibited significantly improved photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 98.45% and rate constant of 0.0157 min −1 in decomposing Rhodamine B(RhB). The enhancement in photocatalytic performance is primarily ascribed to the effective role of Ag as an electron sink, which facilitates charge transfer and prolongs carrier lifetimes. These findings highlight Ag‐doped α‐Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles as efficient visible‐light‐driven photocatalysts with potential applications in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation.