In-situ hydrothermal synthesis of CeO2/SnS2 heterojunction for use as a new efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst

This communication reports a pioneering study on the synthesis and properties of CeO2/SnS2 composite. CeO2/SnS2 heterojunction was synthesized via the hydrothermal reactions of SnCl4·5H2O and thioacetamide in the presence of CeO2 nanoparticles at 170 °C for 12 h. The composition, structure, and optical properties of the as-synthesized CeO2/SnS2 heterojunction were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra and photoluminescence spectra. The photocatalytic properties of the as-synthesized CeO2/SnS2 heterojunction were evaluated in the reduction of aqueous Cr(VI) under visible-light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation, and compared with those of SnS2, CeO2, and CeO2/SnS2 nanocomposite prepared by physical mixing method (CeO2/SnS2-PM). The results demonstrated that the as-synthesized CeO2/SnS2 heterojunction had exceptionally higher visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity than SnS2, CeO2, and CeO2/SnS2-PM. The possible reasons underlying the photocatalytic results were proposed.