Gold nanoparticle doped hollow SnO2 supersymmetric nanostructures for improved photocatalysis

Abstract

Hollow SnO₂ supersymmetric nanostructures with high surface area were synthesized by a solution reaction with N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as a solvent in the presence of PVP and PEG as capping agents. It was demonstrated that the initially formed ultrafine SnO₂ nanoclusters assembled to form hollow hexapods, and then the further in situ self-assembly induced the formation of higher-ordered hollow structures. After depositing gold nanoparticles (NPs) onto them, the structures presented an enhanced photocatalytic performance in the photodegradation of R6G molecules, mainly owing to the effective electron–hole separation at the SnO₂–Au NP interfaces and their high specific surface area.