Improving the photo-degradation activity of SnS2 under visible light by TiO2 (rutile)

The nano-sized SnS2 modified with rutile phase TiO2 (SnS2/TiO2) was prepared through the hydrothermal treatment of TiCl3 in the presence of SnS2 at 160 °C for 4 h. The samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and UV–vis spectroscopy. The photodegradation of methyl orange has been investigated under the light irradiation of 360–600 and 400–600 nm by using the samples as photocatalyst. The results demonstrated that the photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared SnS2/TiO2 depended on the content of TiO2, and that SnS2/TiO2 containing 26% TiO2 displayed the optimum activity which was much larger than that of pure SnS2 although the rutile TiO2 had little activity for the degradation of methyl orange.

► Nano-sized SnS2 modified with rutile phase TiO2 (SnS2/TiO2) was prepared.
► The photocatalytic activities of the SnS2/TiO2 depended on the content of TiO2.
► SnS2/TiO2 containing 26% TiO2 displayed much larger activity than that of SnS2.