Synthesis and sonocatalytic performance of Dy2Sn2O7/Sepiolite nanocomposite

Sepiolite is a natural clay that has been used in many fields and has attracted increasing attention. The Dy2Sn2O7 nanoparticles were successfully supported by sepiolite and used as the ultrasonic catalyst for the degradation of Acid Orange 7 in this paper. The Dy2Sn2O7/Sepiolite composite was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method and performed well in ultrasonic degradation. Within 90 min ultrasound vibration, a better degradation ratio of 84.03% was achieved in the Dy2Sn2O7/Sepiolite system compared with the sepiolite and Dy2Sn2O7. The prepared sonocatalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, and XPS. The scavenge tests and ESR results revealed that h+ and ·OH were the primary active species for Acid Orange 7 degradation, and ·O2− also played an important role. The results indicated that Dy2Sn2O7/Sepiolite has the potential as a sonocatalyst in the process of remedying the environment and provides a new idea for exploiting and utilizing natural minerals.