Photocatalytic activity of SnO2 nanoparticles in methylene blue degradation

• Published in: Materials research bulletin Vol. 74; pp. 85 - 89
• Main Authors: Kim, Sung Phil, Choi, Myong Yong, Choi, Hyun Chul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2016
• Subjects: A. Oxides; B. Chemical synthesis; C. X-ray diffraction; C. XAFS; D. Catalytic properties; B. Chemical synthesis; D. Catalytic properties; A. Oxides; C. X-ray diffraction; C. XAFS
• ISSN: 0025-5408; 1873-4227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.materresbull.2015.10.024

[Display omitted] •Nanosized SnO2 photocatalysts were prepared with a precipitation method.•SnO2 nanoparticles displayed high photocatalytic activities for the MB degradation.•OH radicals are the main active species in photocatalysis on the SnO2 nanoparticles. Nanosized SnO2 photocatalysts were prepared with a precipitation method and were characterized by performing transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The powder XRD results revealed that the SnO2 nanoparticles have a typical tetragonal rutile (cassiterite) structure and the average crystallite size was found to be approximately 4.5nm by using the Debye–Scherrer equation. The prepared SnO2 nanoparticles consist of agglomerated particles with a mean diameter of around 4–5nm according to the analysis of TEM images. The XAS data confirmed that the prepared samples have cassiterite structures with tin oxidation state of +4. The prepared SnO2 nanoparticles were found to exhibit approximately 3.8 times higher activity than bulk SnO2 in the photodegradation of methylene blue. On the basis of a trapping experiment, we developed a possible mechanism for the photodegradation on SnO2 nanoparticles.