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 (TiO 2 ) 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 TiO 2 has limited its application. To begin with, Black TiO 2 is produced by the magnesium thermal reduction method to promote the absorption of visible light, Subsequently, The black TiO 2 /SnO 2 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 Ti 3+ self-doped disorder layer forms on the surface of TiO 2 nanophase, and black TiO 2 nanoparticles are well decorated with SnO 2 nanoparticles. After 90 min of visible light irradiation, RhB has a photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 96.62%, which is 1.597 times that of TiO 2 nanoparticles, and its cycle stability is well beyond our expectation. The ameliorated photocatalytic degradation performance of TiO 2 /SnO 2 composite is ascribed to the formation of a "type Ⅱ heterojunction", which not only reinforces the absorption of visible light of black TiO 2 /SnO 2 nanoparticles, but also heightens the separation and transfer efficiency of the photogenerated carriers.