B-Ni-Y ions tri-doped modified Fe2O3/SnO2 composite films for photocatalytic degradation of pollutants

With the continuous advancement in global modernization, pollution is becoming increasingly severe. Effectively addressing environmental pollutants has emerged as a significant challenge today. In this study, B, Ni and Y co-doped Fe2O3/SnO2 composite nano-films with excellent photocatalytic properties were prepared by a modified sol–gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS) and photoluminescence (PL). The results of BET show that the average specific surface area of Fe2O3/SnO2 thin films modified by B, Ni and Y is increased and the average particle size is decreased. The PL results showed improved separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes in the B/Ni/Y-Fe2O3/SnO2 films. The photocatalytic activity of B/Ni/Y-Fe2O3/SnO2 was evaluated by monitoring the degradation of methyl green (MG), formaldehyde (HCHO) and ofloxacin (OFL). The results showed that its photocatalytic activity is much higher than that of Fe2O3/SnO2 film. Finally, the synergistic mechanism of ion doping modification is described.