Two- stage synthesis of SnO2-Ag/MgFe2O4 nanocomposite for photocatalytic application

In this research, photocatalytic nanocomposite of MgFe2O4/SnO2 was synthesized using two-stage precipitation method. Furthermore, the effect of adding Ag in different percentages was also investigated. The synthesized composite powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), filed emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-visible spectroscopy and BET analysis. The results of XRD showed that with increasing the percentage of MgFe2O4, the size of SnO2 crystals decreases. The FESEM micrographs showed that with increasing the percentage of MgFe2O4, the particle size distribution became more uniform and the agglomeration of the particles decreased. Examination of the UV-visible absorption spectrum of the composite powders proved that the addition of MgFe2O4 ferrite to SnO2 increased the absorption rate and also the addition of Ag had little effect on the adsorption rate of the composite. Investigation of photocatalytic activity of synthesized powders and their comparison showed that by compositing SnO2 and MgFe2O4, the degradation reaction efficiency can be increased. Adding Ag can also increase the degradation mechanism by preventing electron-holes recombination.

Automated summary

The research indicates that compositing MgFe2O4 and SnO2 can enhance the efficiency of photocatalytic degradation reaction, while adding Ag can increase the degradation mechanism by preventing electron-holes recombination.