Ternary photocatalyst of Fe3O4/Ag-SnO2 with Parkia speciosa extract improves visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of dye

Abstract

SnO2 is a highly utilized and cost-effective photocatalyst in various industries, including industrial polishes, glass and ceramic coatings, building materials, and gas sensor systems. However, the light emission process has limitations due to the rapid recombination of electrons and holes. In order to overcome this issue, an innovative study was conducted in which a cheap and non-toxic plant extract precursor with phytochemicals was used as a capping agent. Fe3O4/Ag-dopedSnO2 nanocomposites with varied Ag and SnCl2 ratios were synthesized, and the samples were characterized using FTIR, UV–visible, XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, and BET surface analyses. Adding Ag to the nanocomposites slowed down the recombination of charge carriers. This made Fe3O4/Agx-SnyO2 (x:y = 1:1, 1:3, 3:1) a better photocatalyst than Fe3O4 or SnO2 alone. Rhodamine B, a model pollution dye, was decomposed under 50 W LED light to test the efficiency of the as-synthesized nanocomposite photodecomposition. When illuminated with LED light, the Fe3O4/Agx-SnyO2 (FAS3) (x:y=3:1) nanocomposite displayed increased photocatalytic activity. These results showed that excited charge electrons from SnO2 could move to the Ag conductive band to speed up charge pair separation. This would make the photocatalysis of Ag-doped SnO2 more effective at breaking down dye.