Abstract$$\hbox {Sn}^{4+}$$Sn4+-doped $$\hbox {TiO}_{2}$$TiO2 nanorod array film (NAF) on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conducting glass was successfully synthesized using the facile hydrothermal method. The NAF photocatalysts were characterized by… Click to show full abstract
Abstract$$\hbox {Sn}^{4+}$$Sn4+-doped $$\hbox {TiO}_{2}$$TiO2 nanorod array film (NAF) on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conducting glass was successfully synthesized using the facile hydrothermal method. The NAF photocatalysts were characterized by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The SEM images showed that both doped and pure $$\hbox {TiO}_{2}$$TiO2 NAFs exhibited a good nanorod array structure. $$\hbox {Sn}^{4+}$$Sn4+-doped $$\hbox {TiO}_{2}$$TiO2 NAF still maintains rutile crystal structure, which was identical to that of pure $$\hbox {TiO}_{2}$$TiO2 sample. By means of the DRS measurement, it was found that the $$\hbox {Sn}^{4+}$$Sn4+ doping in $$\hbox {TiO}_{2}$$TiO2 nanorod could induce an obvious enhancement of visible light absorption owing to the introduction of doping energy level in the band gap of $$\hbox {TiO}_{2}$$TiO2. The degradation of methyl orange (MO) demonstrated that the $$\hbox {Sn}^{4+}$$Sn4+-doped $$\hbox {TiO}_{2}$$TiO2 NAF exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic activity than pure $$\hbox {TiO}_{2}$$TiO2 NAF under the visible light ($$\lambda >400\;\hbox {nm}$$λ>400nm) irradiation, which should be attributed to the enhanced visible light response and improved separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers of $$\hbox {Sn}^{4+}$$Sn4+-doped $$\hbox {TiO}_{2}$$TiO2.