Surfactant-free synthesis of novel hierarchical dahlia-like SnO2 nanostructures with enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity

A facile hydrothermal method is developed to prepare hierarchical dahlia-like SnO2 nanostructures (HDSNs). They have been successfully synthesized without using any templates or surfactants. We find that the hierarchical architectures of SnO2 are assembled by a number of regular-shaped nanosheets and nanoparticles, which are cross-linked in the interior of the micro-flower. Based on the nucleation and self-assembly process, a possible formation mechanism is proposed. The effect of NaCl on the product is also studied. In addition, the product exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity to Rhodamine B (RhB) aqueous solution and possess good stability and reusability under visible light. This study will provide valuable experimental data for further study of nanomaterials and their photocatalytic properties. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V.