Synthesis of SnS2 Nanoparticles and Their Application as Photocatalysts for the Reduction of Cr(VI)

Abstract

The present study reports the synthesis of SnS2 nanoparticles with different morphologies via a facile thermal decomposition approach. The SnS2 nanoparticles were synthesized using tin chloride and thiourea (or thioacetamide) in two different solvents (diphenyl ether and 1-octadecene). The SnS2 nanoparticles were extensively characterized using different analytical techniques. The crystallite size of SnS2 varies from 6.1 nm to 19.0 nm. Electron microscopy studies indicate that the SnS2 samples consist of flakes which assemble into different hierarchical structures such as ball dahlia, peony dahlia-like nanoflowers, nanoyarns and linear structures under different synthetic conditions. The SnS2 nanoparticles show interesting optical properties and the band gap varies from 2.31 eV to 2.94 eV. Detailed mechanism of formation of SnS2 nanoparticles with different morphologies has been proposed. The SnS2 nanoparticles were explored for photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) in an aqueous solution in the presence of sunlight and they act as visible light photocatalysts with good activity.