Synthesis of a new SnO2/mesoporous silica composite with room-temperature photoluminescence

A new SnO2/mesoporous silica composite was synthesized by a facile method, ‘tin vapor reduction method’, in which mesoporous silica SBA-15 was treated with tin vapor at temperature above 700 °C under inert atmosphere. This material displays enhanced room-temperature photoluminescence (RT-PL) at increased treatment temperature. It is proved that RT-PL properties of this composite are closely related to twofold-coordinated tin oxygen-deficient centers.