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Sn/Sn3O4−x heterostructure rich in oxygen vacancies with enhanced visible light photocatalytic oxidation performance

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Abstract

Sn3O4, a common two-dimensional semiconductor photocatalyst, can absorb visible light. However, owing to its rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, its absorption is not sufficient for practical application. In this work, a Sn nanoparticle/Sn3O4−x nanosheet heterostructure was prepared by in situ reduction of Sn3O4 under a H2 atmosphere. The Schottky junctions formed between Sn and Sn3O4−x can enhance the photogenerated carrier separation ability. During the hydrogenation process, a portion of the oxygen in the semiconductor can be extracted by hydrogen to form water, resulting in an increase in oxygen vacancies in the semiconductor. The heterostructure showed the ability to remove Rhodamine B. Cell cytocompatibility experiments proved that Sn/Sn3O4−x can significantly enhance cell compatibility and reduce harm to organisms. This work provides a new method for the fabrication of a Schottky junction composite photocatalyst rich in oxygen vacancies with enhanced photocatalytic performance.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51802115 and 51732007) and the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China (No. ZR2019YQ21).

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  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (IAIR), University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, China

    Rui-qi Yang, Na Liang, Xuan-yu Chen, Long-wei Wang, Guo-xin Song, Yan-chen Ji, Na Ren & Xin Yu

  2. School of physics and electronics, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China

    Ya-wei Lü

  3. Institute Charles Gerhardt, UMR 5253, CNRS-UM-ENSCM, Université de Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, F-34095, Montpellier cedex 5, France

    Jian Zhang

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  1. Rui-qi Yang
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Correspondence to Na Ren, Ya-wei Lü or Xin Yu.

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Yang, Rq., Liang, N., Chen, Xy. et al. Sn/Sn3O4−x heterostructure rich in oxygen vacancies with enhanced visible light photocatalytic oxidation performance. Int J Miner Metall Mater 28, 150–159 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-020-2131-z

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