One-step synthesis of SnO2 nanoparticles-loaded graphitic carbon nitride and their application in thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

SnO2 nanoparticle-loaded graphitic carbon nitride (SnO2NPs/g-C3N4) hybrids were successfully synthesized by one-pot calcination. Various characterization means and detection techniques were used to analyse their structure and properties. It was found that SnO2 NPs possess the synergistic effect on g-C3N4. The addition of SnO2 NPs not only increases the surface of g-C3N4 but provides extra electrons. Having added 10 wt% SnO2NPs/g-C3N4 hybrids, the onset decomposition temperature of ammonium perchlorate (AP) was decreased to 352.2 °C. Furthermore, considering the band gap of g-C3N4 (Eg = 2.7 eV) and SnO2 (Eg = 3.6 eV), the conduction band electrons (ecb− and valence band holes (h+)) were generated on their surface upon heat excitation. In addition, on the basis of the synergistic effect (the ecb− would transfer from g-C3N4 to SnO2) of SnO2, a possible synergistic mechanism was proposed to understand the thermal decomposition of AP.