Enhanced visible-light photocatalytic performance of black TiO2/SnO2 nanoparticles

In recent years, large and small industries have discharged a multitude of organic pollutants into the environment, causing environmental pollution. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) materials is very important photocatalyst as a result of its outstanding applications to remove organic contaminants from the environment. Nonetheless, the low utilization rate of visible light of TiO2 has limited its application. To begin with, Black TiO2 is produced by the magnesium thermal reduction method to promote the absorption of visible light, Subsequently, The black TiO2/SnO2 composites are synthesized by chemical synthesis method to form a hetero-junction to augment the photocatalytic activity. The morphology, chemical composition, phase structure and photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation were investigated. The morphological properties demonstrated that a Ti3+ self-doped disorder layer forms on the surface of TiO2 nanophase, and black TiO2 nanoparticles are well decorated with SnO2 nanoparticles. After 90 min of visible light irradiation, RhB has a photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 96.62%, which is 1.597 times that of TiO2 nanoparticles, and its cycle stability is well beyond our expectation. The ameliorated photocatalytic degradation performance of TiO2/SnO2 composite is ascribed to the formation of a "type Ⅱ heterojunction", which not only reinforces the absorption of visible light of black TiO2/SnO2 nanoparticles, but also heightens the separation and transfer efficiency of the photogenerated carriers.