Synthesis of flower-like SnO2 single crystals and its enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract Flower-like SnO2 single crystals were successfully synthesized using hydrothermal method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance (DRS). As-synthesized flower-like SnO2 single crystals exhibited higher photoactivity (about 2.2 times) than granular SnO2 for degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye. The trapping experiment showed that the holes (h+) and hydroxyl radical ( OH) were the main active species in the photodegradation process.