Solid-state synthesis of SnO2–graphene nanocomposite for photocatalysis and formaldehyde gas sensing

Abstract

A facile solid-state synthetic route has been developed to prepare a tin oxide–graphene (SnO₂–graphene) nanocomposite. Graphene decorated with tin oxide (SnO₂) nanoparticles was synthesized by in situ solid-state chemical reaction at room temperature. The obtained SnO₂–graphene nanocomposite has been investigated for applications as a photocatalyst to degrade organic contaminants in water and a chemical sensor to detect various vapours. The experiment results show that the SnO₂–graphene nanocomposite exhibited improved performances for photocatalytic decomposition of Methyl Orange and Rhodamine B, and formaldehyde sensing comparable with the SnO₂ nanoparticles. The enhancement of properties is proposed to be related to the large specific surface area of the nanocomposite and the good electronic characteristics of graphene.