Fabrication of one-dimensional heterostructured TiO2@SnO2 with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract

TiO₂@SnO₂ nanosheets@nanotubes heterostructures were successfully prepared by a facile two-step method: prefabricated SnO₂@PNT coaxial nanocables based on the in situ growth of SnO₂ in the sulfonated gel matrix of polymeric nanotubes, and then the assembly of TiO₂ nanoclusters that consist of ultrathin nanosheets through a solvothermal process. These heterostructures were characterized for the morphological, structural and optical properties by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible (UV-vis) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The photocatalytic investigations showed that the TiO₂@SnO₂ heterostructures possessed enhanced photocatalytic efficiency in the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and photocatalytic H₂ evolution from water splitting under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation, compared with the pristine TiO₂ nanosheets, SnO₂ nanotubes, the mechanically mixed two samples and P25. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be ascribed to the beneficial microstructure and synergistic effects of coupled TiO₂@SnO₂ nanosheets@nanotubes heterostructures.