Synthesis of nanoporous structured SnO2 and its photocatalytic ability for bisphenol a destruction

Abstract

Nanoporous structured tin dioxide (SnO2) is characterized and its application in the photocatalytic destruction of endocrine, Bisphenol A, is examined. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals irregularly shaped nanopores of size 2.0-4.5 nm. This corresponds to the result of an average nanopore distribution of 4.5 nm, as determined by Barret-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) plot from the isotherm curve. The photoluminescence (PL) curve, corresponding to the recombination between electron and hole, largely decreases in the TiO 2/nanoporous SnO2 composite. Finally, a synergy effect between TiO2 and porous SnO2 is exhibited in photocatalysis: the photocatalytic destruction of Bisphenol A is improved by combining the nanoporous structured SnO2 with TiO2, and 75% decomposition of 10.0 ppm of Bisphenol A is achieved after 24 h.