Investigation on the Structural and Photocatalytic Performance of Oxygen-Vacancy-Enriched SnO2-CeO2 Heterostructures

Abstract

In this study, pure CeO2 and oxygen-vacancy-enriched SnO2-CeO2 composite materials were prepared using the sol–gel method, and their microstructures and photocatalytic properties were investigated. The results indicate that SnO2 coupling promotes the separation and transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes and suppresses their recombination. The 50% SnO2-CeO2 composite material exhibited a decreased specific surface area compared to pure CeO2 but significantly increased oxygen vacancy content, demonstrating the highest photogenerated charge separation efficiency and the best photocatalytic performance. After 120 min of illumination, the degradation degree of MB by the 50% SnO2-CeO2 composite material increased from 28.8% for pure CeO2 to 90.8%, and the first-order reaction rate constant increased from 0.002 min−1 to 0.019 min−1.