Degradation of Leather Dye Using CeO2-SnO2 Nanocomposite as Photocatalyst Under Sunlight

Nanocomposite of CeO2-SnO2 containing different CeO2 contents was prepared by coprecipitation process. The material obtained was characterized by Xray diffraction and N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. Its photocatalytic activity was tested in the degradation of azo dye of leather, Direct Black 38, in aqueous solution under sunlight. The photocatalytic activity of the coupled CeO2-SnO2 oxide ranged depending on the CeO2 contents. The optimum amount of CeO2 for the synthesis of CeO2-SnO2 was 7 wt.% since the nano-particles showed high photocatalytic activity in the degradation of the dye, similar to that of the TiO2-P25 photocatalyst. The kinetics of photocatalytic degradation and total organic carbon removal under sunlight were found to follow a first-order rate law. The results indicated that CeO2-SnO2 can be used for the removal of dyes from wastewater.