Improved photocatalytic activity of MoS2 nanosheets decorated with SnO2 nanoparticles

Abstract

MoS₂ nanosheets decorated with SnO₂ mesoporous nanoparticles were successfully prepared by a facile two-step method. The MoS₂ nanosheets were pre-synthesized using a solvothermal method and then decorated with the SnO₂ mesoporous nanoparticles through a wet chemical method. The nanocomposite was characterized with powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersed spectrometry (EDX), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), thermal gravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). SnO₂ mesoporous nanoparticles can be selectively formed and attached to the peripheral surface of the layered MoS₂, which was confirmed by FESEM and HRTEM. The photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite was examined with Rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solution under UV light irradiation. The SnO₂ nanoparticles remarkably suppressed the electron–hole recombination effect on the MoS₂ photocatalyst and improved the photocatalytic activity compared to a pristine MoS₂ catalyst. A higher rate of pollutant degradation was accomplished within 50 min that was three times higher than that of the pristine MoS₂ catalyst.