Rapid Synthesis of Nanocrystalline TiO2/SnO2 Binary Oxides and Their Photoinduced Decomposition of Methyl Orange

A rapid and simple method, the so-called stearic acid method (SAM) was developed to prepare nanostructured TiO2/SnO2 binary oxides by combustion of stearic acid precursors. The preparative process was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). During the preparative process, metal precursors were dispersed in stearic acid at molecular level. Microstructure of the samples was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET specific surface area measurement and the results were compared with those obtained by conventional sol–gel method. The photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange was used as a model system to determine the relative influences of the preparation method and the concentration of SnO2 on the photocatalytic activities. It was found that preparative methods affected the crystalline structure of TiO2/SnO2 powders and the anatase phase of TiO2 was stabilized by the addition of SnO2 in SAM. The samples prepared by SAM showed better dispersity, larger specific surface area and the TiO2/SnO2 (r=0.15, SAM) catalyst showed higher photocatalytic activity than Degussa P25.