  Silver-doped ZnO nanoparticles were successfully fabricated at
$400\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ via a simple and rapid method based on short time
solid state milling and calcination of precursor powders. The effect of Ag
dilute doping on the structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of ZnO
nanoparticles was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis
spectrophotometer and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy.~X-ray analysis
revealed that Ag doped ZnO solidified in hexagonal wurtzite structure.~ The
intensity of deep level emission was reduced with increasing silver doping in
PL measurement.~The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement
predicted that Ag was mainly in the metallic state and ZnO was in the wurtzite
structure.~ This metallic state accompanied by unique zinc oxide properties
decolorized the methyl violet, efficiently.~ The first-principles calculation
represented Ag deep level in ZnO with an n-type behavior, while in ZnO
structure with grain boundary p-type nature via shallow states is dominant same
as powder samples as studied in this present work. It was suggested that these
Ag-doped ZnO nanoparticles may have good applications in optoelectronics,
spintronics and wastewater treatment.
