Strontium-Doped Tin Oxide Nanofibers for Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalysis

Pranta Barua, Tan Thai, Kannoorpatti Krishnan and Naveen Kumar Elumalai ()
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Pranta Barua: Advanced Manufacturing Alliance, Energy and Resources Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia
Tan Thai: Advanced Manufacturing Alliance, Energy and Resources Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia
Kannoorpatti Krishnan: Advanced Manufacturing Alliance, Energy and Resources Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia
Naveen Kumar Elumalai: Advanced Manufacturing Alliance, Energy and Resources Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-34

Abstract: This study investigates the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) using strontium-doped SnO 2 nanofibers synthesized via electrospinning. The 1% Sr-doped SnO 2 nanofibers exhibited remarkable photocatalytic activity, achieving 84.74% MB degradation under visible light irradiation, substantially outperforming both undoped SnO 2 nanofibers (61%) and the same catalyst under UV light (69%) under identical experimental conditions. Comprehensive electrochemical investigations revealed that Sr doping fundamentally transformed interfacial charge transfer kinetics, with 1% Sr-doped nanofibers exhibiting a remarkable three-fold decrease in charge transfer resistance (404 Ω compared to 1350 Ω for undoped samples), a dramatic enhancement in charge carrier density (5.17 × 10 22 versus 9.24 × 10 19 for undoped samples), and an approximately eight-fold increase in diffusion coefficient (8.78 × 10 −10 versus 1.13 × 10 −10 cm 2 s −1 ). These electrochemical improvements were corroborated by comprehensive structural characterization, which demonstrated that strategic Sr incorporation induced beneficial oxygen vacancies, reduced crystallite size, increased microstrain, and enhanced dislocation density, collectively contributing to superior surface reactivity and accelerated photocatalytic mechanisms. This work establishes a quantitative correlation between electrochemical characteristics and photocatalytic activity in Sr-doped SnO 2 nanofibers, revealing the fundamental mechanisms that transform the SnO 2 nanostructure from UV-dependent to efficient visible light-driven catalysts for organic pollutant degradation.

Keywords: electrospinning; oxygen vacancies; charge transport; diffusion coefficient; doping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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