BORON-DOPED TIN DIOXIDE FILMS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS

In order to enhance the photodegradation of organic pollutants, Boron-doped tin dioxide (B-doped SnO 2 ) composite films with narrowed band gap were successfully prepared by the sol–gel method. The samples are characterized by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy results revealed that the absorption of the B-doped SnO 2 film was clearly broadened to the visible light area. PL results showed that the recombination rate of the photo-generated species was effectively prohibited by B doping. The photocatalytic properties of the films were evaluated by degradation of organic pollutants including acid naphthol red (ANR) dye and formaldehyde solutions. Experimental results indicated that the B-doped SnO 2 film exhibited an excellent photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation due to its strong visible light response and diminished electron–hole recombination.