Rice husk reuse in the preparation of SnO2/SiO2 nanocomposite

Abstract

In this study, biogenic SiO2 of high purity and high surface area obtained from rice husk was used for prepare a nanostructured SnO2/SiO2 composite. The predominantly amorphous silica was extracted in an acidic route and then the nanocomposite was done via sol-gel route using ethylene glycol and citric acid followed by heat treatment. SiO2 content of the rice husk was determined by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and its specific surface area determined by nitrogen adsorption. The composite nanostructured SnO2/SiO2 was structurally characterized by the techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The morphological characteristics were revealed by scanning electron microscope (SEM).