Composite aerogel materials composed of integrated ZnO and SnO2 macro and nano-sized particles were prepared using the epoxide driven sol-gel process. This method uses cheap, stable, and readily obtainable metal halides or nitrates dissolved in an aqueous or alcoholic solvent and with the addition of an epoxide allow for gel polymerization in a one-pot synthesis. A library of ZnO-SnO2 aerogels was prepared by modulating various epoxides, solvents, and metal salts to produce a collection of highly active photocatalyst for the degradation of rhodamine-B in an aqueous solution. Through systematic characterization of these materials we have discovered that we can direct morphology, and therefore increase photocatalytic activity, by altering synthetic conditions. The end result is an efficient, easy to prepare, scalable catalyst that demonstrates increased photocatalytic activity over commercial P-25 Degussa TiO2.

ZnO-SnO2 photocatalyst: An in-depth study on morphologies affect on photocatalytic activity

249th National Meeting (2015)

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