Functionalization of Fluorine on the Surface of SnO2–Mg Nanocomposite as an Efficient Photocatalyst for Toxic Dye Degradation

Abstract

This work reports on the photocatalytic activity of tin oxide (SnO₂)-doped magnesium (Mg) and fluorine (F) nanoparticles for methyl orange and safranin dye degradation under sunlight irradiation. Nanocatalysis-induced dye degradation was examined using UV-visible spectroscopy and a pseudo-first-order kinetics model. The results indicate that the prepared nanoparticles exhibit superior photocatalytic activity, and the degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye is approximately 82%. In contrast, the degradation of safranin dye is 96% in the same time interval of 105 min. The calculated crystallite size of the SnO₂-Mg-F nanocomposite is 29.5 nm, which respects the particle size found in the DLS analysis with a tetragonal structure and spherical morphology affirmed. The optical characteristics were assessed, and their respective bandgap energies were determined to be 3.6 eV. The influence of F in Mg and SnO₂ is recognized with the XRD and FT-IR spectra of the prepared particles.