Synthesis and characterization of La-doped SnO2 nanoparticles with different shape: A comprehensive study on morphology, structure, and photocatalytic efficiency for eco-friendly wastewater treatment

Abstract

New controllable synthetic approach to obtain of La-doped SnO2 nanoparticles based on the combination of co-precipitation method with post synthetical hydrothermal treatment has been developed. Nanoparticles with various shape (3 nm spheres and 5 nm cubes) and structural parameters, i.e. different amount of oxygen vacancies and defects, and different dopant concentrations of 11 mol% and 33 mol% were fully characterized using XRD, FTIR, XPS and Raman spectroscopy, TEM, SSA evaluation, optical absorption spectra study, luminescence spectroscopy, including quantum chemical calculations.It was shown that hydrothermal treatment (240 °C during 6 h) promotes nanoparticle growth via the mechanism of oriented attachment. Original computational approach based on the calculation of interaction energies between ions and crystal facets was engaged to study the growth process.The presence of intrinsic photoluminescence (406, 414, 438, 460, 500 and 676 nm) for all obtained samples was established, determined by a complex set of different parameters for sub-10 nm nanoparticles.Photocatalytic efficiency of 95 % on the example of methylene blue under commercially available LED lamp described via quantum chemical modelling and tested on the example of a colorless antibiotic solution. A clear dependance of the morphological and structural parameters on the photocatalytic properties has been obtained and studied in detail.Novel concept based on a combination of chemical and computational method, for effective visible-light driven photocatalyst synthesis with potential antibacterial properties for complex eco-friendly wastewater treatment was proposed.