High-performance visible-light-driven SnS₂/SnO₂ nanocomposite photocatalyst prepared via in situ hydrothermal oxidation of SnS₂ nanoparticles.

SnS₂/SnO₂ nanocomposites with tunable SnO₂ contents were prepared via in situ hydrothermal oxidation of SnS₂ nanoparticles in 0.375-4.5 mass% H₂O₂ aqueous solutions at 180 °C for 0-12 h. The structure, composition and optical properties of the as-prepared SnS₂/SnO₂ nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. Furthermore, their photocatalytic properties were tested for the degradation of methyl orange in water under visible light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation. It was found that the as-prepared SnS₂/SnO₂ nanocomposites with suitable SnO₂ content not only demonstrated superior photocatalytic activity to both SnS₂ nanoparticles and physically mixed SnS₂/SnO₂ composite nanoparticles, but also had remarkable photocatalytic stability. The tight attachment of SnO₂ nanoparticles to SnS₂ nanoparticles, which can facilitate interfacial electron transfer and reduce the self-agglomeration of two components, was considered to play an important role in achieving the high photocatalytic performances exhibited by the as-prepared SnS₂/SnO₂ nanocomposites.