Multilayered TiO2@SnO2 hollow nanostructures: facile synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic performance

Multilayered TiO2@SnO2 hollow nanostructures have been successfully synthesized via a simple approach employing the template-assisted and hydrothermal methods. The results showed that the molar ratio of Ti(SO4)(2) to SnSO4 played important roles in the composition and morphology of the nanostructures. The as-prepared TiO2@SnO2 hollow nanostructures exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity when used as photocatalysts for the degradation of organic dyes. The mesoporous structure could facilitate the diffusion of dye molecules. In addition, the multilayered hollow nanostructure allows multiple reflections of incident light, making efficient utilization of light energy. Moreover, the coupling TiO2 with SnO2 could also effectively improve the charge separation efficiency.