Inorganic Photocatalytic Enhancement: Activated RhB Photodegradation by Surface Modification of SnO₂ Nanocrystals with V₂O₅-like species.

ABSTRACT: SnO₂ nanocrystals were prepared by precipitation in dodecylamine at 100?°C, then they were reacted with vanadium chloromethoxide in oleic acid at 250?°C. The resulting materials were heat-treated at various temperatures up to 650?°C for thermal stabilization, chemical purification and for studying the overall structural transformations. From the crossed use of various characterization techniques, it emerged that the as-prepared materials were constituted by cassiterite SnO₂ nanocrystals with a surface modified by isolated V(IV) oxide species. After heat-treatment at 400?°C, the SnO₂ nanocrystals were wrapped by layers composed of vanadium oxide (IV-V mixed oxidation state) and carbon residuals. After heating at 500?°C, only SnO₂ cassiterite nanocrystals were obtained, with a mean size of 2.8?nm and wrapped by only V₂O₅-like species. The samples heat-treated at 500?°C were tested as RhB photodegradation catalysts. At 10^-7?M concentration, all RhB was degraded within 1?h of reaction, at a much faster rate than all pure SnO₂ materials reported until now.

SUBMITTER: Epifani M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5353695 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature