ZnO–SnO2–Sn nanocomposite as photocatalyst in ultraviolet and visible light
Olga Długosz, Marcin Banach
Abstract
Abstract By combining ZnO with SnO 2 , it is possible to obtain a photocatalyst with an extended lifetime and increased activity range in both ultraviolet and visible light. The paper presents the synthesis of ZnO–SnO 2 –Sn nanocomposite. The morphology and structure of the samples were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM–EDS and TEM–EDX analysis. The results showed that the synthesised nanocomposites consisted of hexagonal ZnO, cubic SnO 2 and Sn nanoparticles. The results revealed that the highest removal efficiency (15.0%) of rhodamine B under visible light was achieved with ZnO–SnO 2 –Sn consisting of 10% of SnO 2 and 5% of Sn, whereas the highest removal efficiency of methylene blue (95.6%) under UV light was achieved with ZnO–SnO 2 –Sn consisting of 10% of SnO 2 and 1% of Sn. The presence of tin nanoparticles enhanced the photocatalytic properties directed towards visible light. The degradation of MB by ZnO–SnO 2 –Sn remained above 80% even in the 5th cycle, while under visible light during photodegradation the RB removal efficiency decreased from 20 to 14%.