ZnO-modified SnO flower-like microstructures with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Abstract

Abstract A flower-like SnO/ZnO heterojunction photocatalyst with high catalytic activity was synthesized by a simple ultrasonic reaction method. Results show that the SnO/ZnO composites consist of SnO, SnO 2 , and ZnO. The flower-like structure is made of many SnO nanosheets with a thickness of approximately 20 nm and length of 1–2 μm. A tight interface combination of SnO, SnO 2 , and ZnO clearly improves the photoactivity of SnO. The photocatalytic performance of the SnO/ZnO composite is much higher than that of ZnO raw materials and SnO sample. The degradation rate of the methyl orange of the SnO/ZnO composite is 99% within 60 min under visible-light irradiation.