Sn21Cl16(OH)14O6: a promising novel photocatalyst for methyl orange degradation

Sn 21 Cl 16 (OH) 14 O 6 was prepared using SnCl 2 , NaOH, and surfactant powder through a simple solid-phase reaction. The effects of surfactant addition on the phase composition, morphology, and photocatalytic properties of the photocatalyst were investigated. Results showed that the as-synthesized nanostructured Sn 21 Cl 16 (OH) 14 O 6 had an average particle size of approximately 50–200 nm and a band gap of 3.82 eV. The addition of surfactants promoted the decomposition of Sn 21 Cl 16 (OH) 14 O 6 into SnO and Sn and improved the photocatalytic property of Sn 21 Cl 16 (OH) 14 O 6 . The cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-modified sample possessed excellent photocatalytic properties and degraded 98.9% of methyl orange within 60 min under visible-light irradiation.