Combination of Hydro/Solvothermal Synthesis Routes for the Enhancement of SnO2 Nanostructures Photoactivity

A facile hydro-solvothermal (Hyd/Solv) route is proposed for the synthesis of tin oxide nanostructures (SnO(2)Ns). Poly-crystalline-tetragonal phases with different shape morphologies of SnO2 and SnO Ns were observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The energy gaps were tailored between 3.64 eV and 5.15 eV for the photodegradation of the methylene blue (MB) under sunlight exposure instead of an ultraviolet light source. Consequently, the photoefficiency of the nanostructured powder was comparable under 5 h of sunlight radiation. It thus may be concluded that the Hyd/Solv route confirms the strong dependence of photocatalysis on the synthesis technique mechanism.