Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma Assisted Synthesis of Ag(2)O Nanomaterials and Ag(2)O/RuO(2) Nanocomposites

Silver oxide, ruthenium oxide nanomaterials and its composites are widely used in a variety of applications. Plasma-mediated synthesis is one of the emerging technologies to prepare nanomaterials with desired physicochemical properties. In this study, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma was used to synthesize Ag(2)O and Ag(2)O/RuO(2) nanocomposite materials. The prepared materials showed good crystallinity. The surface morphology of the Ag(2)O exhibited “garland-like” features, and it changed to “flower-like” and “leaf-like” at different NaOH concentrations. The Ag(2)O/RuO(2) composite showed mixed structures of aggregated Ag(2)O and sheet-like RuO(2). Mechanisms governing the material’s growth under atmospheric pressure plasma were proposed. Chemical analysis was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed the thermal decomposition behavior and the oxygen release pattern.