Hexagonal tin disulfide nanoplatelets: A new photocatalyst driven by solar light

Abstract

Single-crystalline, hexagonal tin disulfide (SnS2) nanoplatelets were successfully synthesized through an improved solvothermal process with SnCl4·5H2O and carbon disulfide (CS2) as precursors. The crystal phase, morphology, and crystal lattice of the prepared products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), respectively. Results reveal that the synthesized SnS2 nanoplatelets are in the hexagonal structure with 20–60 nm in diameter and 7–10 nm in thickness. The structural and HRTEM analysis indicates that the formation of SnS2 nanoplatelets with hexagonal morphology result from the accelerating growth of six energetically equivalent high-index crystalline planes {110} and the retarded growth of {001} crystalline planes. The photocatalytic degradation properties of hexagonal SnS2 nanoplatelets driven by solar light were further investigated with Rhodamine B (RhB) as simulating pollutant. Results show that these SnS2 nanoplatelets have a good performance of photocatalytic degradation on RhB, and the decolorizing rate can reach 97.7% after being irradiated for 70 min by solar light. Better photocatalytic properties indicate that hexagonal SnS2 nanoplatelets are a type of promising photocatalyst driven by solar light and have potentially applied prospects in wastewater treatment and environmental protection.