Effects of Sn Concentration on Chemical Composition, Microstructure and Photocatalytic Activity of Nanoparticulate Sn-Doped TiO₂ Powders Synthesized by Solution Combustion Technique

Abstract

Utilization of photocatalytic properties of materials can be perceived through a wide range of applications, such as anti-bacterial, water treatment, and self-cleaning materials. It has been established that doping can result in alteration of photocatalytic activities. This study aimed at studying effects of tin concentration on chemical composition, microstructure, band gap energy, and photocatalytic activities of tin-doped titanium dioxide powder synthesized by solution combustion technique. Experimental results revealed that concentration of tin significantly influenced chemical composition of the powders. A semi-quantitative analysis indicated that tin oxide secondary phase increased from 11 to 23 wt%, as the Sn increased from 2.5 to 10 mol%, respectively. Tin concentration, nevertheless, did not significantly influence microstructure of the powders. All powders had average particle size ranging from 13.1 to 13.4 nm, which agglomerated into clusters with average sizes ranging from 103 to 140 nm. A slight increase of band gap energy was observed at higher tin concentration. The most prominent photocatalytic activities, determined from decomposition of methylene blue, was found in the titanium dioxide powder with 2.5 mol% Sn.