Sol-gel preparation and characterisation of SnO2 powders employed as catalyst for phenol photodegradation

Authors

1 Laboratoire de Chimie et Environnement, Université de Tiaret, BP 78 Zaaroura, Tiaret 14000, Algeria

2 Laboratoire de Génie chimique, B6a, Université de Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium

3 Ghent University, Lumilab, Department of Solid State Sciences, Krijgslaan 281-S1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium

Abstract

Crystallized pure SnO2 powders were prepared by the sol-gel process and were used as photocatalyst for the degradation of phenol under UV light at pH 6.5 and a temperature of 20°C. The physical properties of photocatalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and Ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The influences of different operating variables such as the pH, the photocatalyst loading, the initial concentration of phenol, were studied to improve the efficiency of phenol degradation.

Keywords