An efficient heterostructured SnO 2 –Bi 2 O 3 for azo dye Reactive Red 120 (RR 120) degradation with solar light and dye-sensitized solar cell

A SnO2–Bi2O3 nanocomposite was synthesized by the precipitation method and applied for the photocatalytic degradation of Reactive Red 120 (RR 120) under solar irradiation. The improved photocatalytic performance resulted from the combined effect of SnO2 and Bi2O3. A range of characterization techniques, including powder SEM–EDX analysis, SEM, elemental mapping, TEM, PL spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), were employed to characterize the SnO2–Bi2O3 oxides. UV-vis-absorption spectroscopy was used to quantify the photocatalytic activity during dye degradation. The heterojunction between the SnO2 and Bi2O3 photocatalysts has increased photocatalytic activity and reduced the recombination rate of photoinduced electron-hole pairs. Since SnO2–Bi2O3 is reusable and more effective at neutral pH 7, it is beneficial for the decomposition of Reactive Red 120 (RR 120). Next, the application results for dye-sensitized solar cells show that the SnO2–Bi2O3 nanocomposite material effectively transfers electrons and prevents the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers.