Gold nanoparticle doped hollow SnO₂ supersymmetric nanostructures for improved photocatalysis

Hollow SnO₂ supersymmetric nanostructures with high surface area were synthesized by a solution reaction with N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as a solvent in the presence of PVP and PEG as capping agents. It was demonstrated that the initially formed ultrafine SnO₂ nanoclusters assembled to form hollow hexapods, and then the further in situ self-assembly induced the formation of higher-ordered hollow structures. After depositing gold nanoparticles (NPs) onto them, the structures presented an enhanced photocatalytic performance in the photodegradation of R6G molecules, mainly owing to the effective electron-hole separation at the SnO₂-Au NP interfaces and their high specific surface area.