Effective solar absorption and radial microchannels of SnO2 hierarchical structure for high photocatalytic activity

Photocatalytic removal of rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) has been studied using the hierarchical SnO2 nanoflowers and SnO2 nanorods under the simulated sunlight irradiation to investigate the influence of morphology on the photocatalytic activity. The hierarchical SnO2 nanoflower catalyst shows higher photocatalytic activity compared with SnO2 nanorod catalyst owing to its larger specific surface area and hierarchical structure, which can promote sunlight absorption and provide radial microchannels for reactant diffusion. The experiment also demonstrates a good photostability and reusability of the SnO2 nanoflower catalyst in photocatalystic degradation.

Graphical abstractThe excellent photocatalytic activity of SnO2 nanoflowers is found. The effective solar absorption and radial microchannels of the hierarchical structure promote greatly the photocatalysis.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Morphology-dependent photocatalytic activity of SnO2 is investigated by the degradation of RhB and MO. ► The higher photocatalytic activity of SnO2 nanoflower catalyst is found. ► The effective solar absorption and radial microchannels of the hierarchical structure promote the photocatalysis.