Research PaperHighly enhanced photocatalytic activity of CaSn(OH)6 through tuning CaSn(OH)6/SnO2 heterostructural interaction and optimizing Fe3+ doping concentration

•CaSn(OH)6/SnO2 heterostructures have been synthesized via a one-pot hydrothermal process through tuning ratios of materials.•Doping of Fe3+ in 0.8CSH substrate effectively adjusts band structure and increases the separation efficiency of charge carriers.•Increased photocatalytic activities are achieved by tuning CaSn(OH)6/SnO2 interaction and optimizing Fe3+ concentration.

A series of novel CaSn(OH)6/SnO2 heterostructure (CSH) photocatalysts have been synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal process with different molar ratios of raw materials. The obtained CaSn(OH)6/SnO2 composite with CaCl2:SnCl4 = 0.8 (0.8CSH) exhibits outstanding ultraviolet (UV)-light photocatalytic activity, which could be attributed to the efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Meanwhile, the doping of Fe3+ ions into 0.8CSH substrate greatly enhances the UV and visible-light photocatalytic activities, and the photodegradation rate of 1.0 mol% Fe-doped CSH (1.0FCSH) sample exceeds that of 0.8CSH by a factor of more than 14 times. This could be attributed to the fact that Fe-doping induces the shift of the absorption edge into the visible light region and reduces the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Overall, this research can provide an effective approach to synthesize new efficient photocatalysts and facilitate their application in environmental protection.

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