Synthesis and characterization of Sn doped TiO2 photocatalysts: Effect of Sn concentration on the textural properties and on the photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

TiO2 and Sn-doped TiO2 materials were prepared by sol-gel method using titanium and tin alkoxides at different Sn concentration (0.1 mol%, 0.5 mol%, 1 mol%, 3 mol% and 5 mol%). Samples were characterized by thermo gravimetric analyzer with differential scanning calorimeter (TGA-DSC), X-ray Rietveld refinement, N-2 adsorption (BET), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis spectroscopies technology and Raman spectroscopy. Only anatase phase was observed in pure TiO2, whereas anatase and brookite were obtained in Sn-doped TiO2 samples. Sn dopant acts as a promoter in phase transformation of TiO2. The Rietveld refinements method was used to determine the relative weight of anatase and brookite, and crystallite size as a function of Sn concentration after calcination of samples at 673 K. It was also demonstrated the incorporation of Sn4+ into the anatase TiO2 structure. Sn4+ inhibits the growth of TiO2 crystallite size, which leads to an increase of the specific surface area of TiO2. From XRD analysis, the solid solution limit of Sn4+ into TiO2 is 5 mol% Sn. The photocatalytic activity on Sn4+ doped TiO2 was determined for the 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid reaction. The maximum in activity was attributed to the coexistence of anatase and brookite phases in the appropriate ratio and crystallite size. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.