Controllable construction of ordered porous SnO2 nanostructures and their application in photocatalysis

• Prepare diameter-controllable porous tin oxide by templating method.
• Tin oxide porous structures present the efficient photocatalytic performance alone which has rarely been reported in the past.
• The mechanism for the appearing high photocatalytic ability is discussed.
• Porous structures not only have higher surface areas but also enable more efficient transport for the reactant molecules to get to the active sites.

The diameter-controllable SnO2 porous structures were fabricated by templating against the polystyrene nanospheres. The porous SnO2 nanostructures present efficient photocatalytic performance in degradation of MO under violet light, which has rarely been reported in the past. The photocatalytic ability can be enhanced through decreasing the porous diameter. Spectral examinations and analyses reveal that the porous structures and the existing oxygen vacancies are responsible for the appearing photocatalytic ability. Such porous structure is also expected to present good performance in gas sensing and electrochemical properties.