High photocatalytic performance of copper-doped SnO2 nanoparticles in degradation of Rhodamine B dye

In this report, co-precipitation approach is used to synthesize pure SnO2 and Cu doped SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs). The crystalline phase, morphological characteristics, chemical contents of the prepared NPs, and photocatalytic capabilities are thoroughly examined. The X-ray diffraction studies depicts that SnO2 has a crystalline, tetragonal structure. In support of XRD, Raman spectroscopy also demonstrates that the successful doping of Cu atoms into SnO2 causes widening and shifting of the peaks. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) study shows the surface morphology and agglomeration of pure and Cu doped SnO2 NPs. Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) analysis confirmed the presence of Cu doped in SnO2 lattice whereas, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals the existence of copper (Cu2+) and tin (Sn4+) oxidation states. Absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra are analyzed to examine optical characteristics of the prepared samples. Under UV-Visible irradiation, Cu ions with SnO2 NPs degraded Rhodamine B (RhB) dye more efficiently than un-doped samples.