Sol-gel preparation and characterisation of SnO<inf>2</inf>powders employed as catalyst for phenol photodegradation

Crystallized pure SnO<inf>2</inf>powders were prepared by the sol-gel process, and were used as photocatalyst for the degradation of phenol under UV light at pH 6.5 and a temperature of 20°C. The physical properties of photocatalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and Ultravioletvisible diffuse reectance spectroscopy. The inuences of different operating variables, such as the pH, the photocatalyst loading, and the initial concentration of phenol, were studied to improve the efficiency of phenol degradation. © 2013 Sharif University of Technology. All rights reserved.