Characterization and photocatalytic performance of SnO2-CNT nanocomposites

Tin oxide-carbon nanotube (SnO2-CNT) nanocomposites were prepared by depositing SnO2 nanopartides onto thiolated CNT surfaces to develop highly efficient photocatalysts. The structure of SnO2-CNT5 was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activity of the sample was benchmarked using the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution under UV-vis light irradiation. The SnO2-CNT5 exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activities compared with bulk SnO2, SnO2 nanoparticles, and commercial P25 TiO2. The enhanced activity was ascribed to the CNT addition. The presence of CNTs effectively suppressed an electron-hole recombination and favored a reactant and product mass transport. A plausible photocatalytic mechanism is proposed. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.