Co-precipitation synthesis of nano-composites consists of zinc and tin oxides coatings on glass with enhanced photocatalytic activity on degradation of Reactive Blue 160 KE2B

Abstract

Nano-composite containing zinc oxide–tin oxide was obtained by a facile co-precipitation route using tin chloride tetrahydrate and zinc chloride as precursors and coated on glass by Doctor Blade deposition. The crystalline structure and morphology of composites were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The XRD results showed peaks relative to zinc oxide with hexagonal wurtzite structure and tin oxide with tetragonal structure. FESEM observations showed that the nano-composite consisted of aggregates of particles with an average particle size of 18nm. The photocatalytic activity of the pure SnO2, pure ZnO, ZnSnO3–Zn2SnO4 and ZnO–SnO2 nano-structure thin films was examined using the degradation of a textile dye Reactive Blue 160 (KE2B). ZnO–SnO2 nano-composite showed enhanced photo-catalytic activity than the pure zinc oxide and tin oxide. The enhanced photo-catalytic activity of the nano-composite was ascribed to an improved charge separation of the photo-generated electron–hole pairs.