Enhanced photocatalytic activity of ethylenediamine-assisted tin oxide (SnO2) nanorods for methylene blue dye degradation

Abstract

Ethylenediamine (EDA) assisted tin oxide (SnO2) nanorods were successfully prepared using the solvothermal method. The prepared samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transforms infrared analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy analysis. The EDA significantly influences the crystallite size and crystallinity of the prepared SnO2. The optical absorption spectra after the addition of EDA showed the absorption edge red-shifted, which improves the absorption toward the visible-light region. Similarly, the spectral intensity of photoluminescence emission was decreased after the addition of EDA. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples was investigated by monitoring the degradation of methylene blue dye under UV–visible light irradiation. The highest photocatalytic activity was attained for the nanorods structured with SnO2, which is higher than that of pristine SnO2 due to the effective visible-light absorption and high charge separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs.