Dye-Modified, Sonochemically Obtained Nano-SnS₂ as an Efficient Photocatalyst for Metanil Yellow Removal

We investigate the possibility of modification of SnS₂ powder through sonochemical synthesis with the addition of an organic ligand. For that purpose, two organic dyes are used, Phenol Red and Anthraquinone Violet. All obtained powders are characterized using XRD, SEM, EDX, FT-IR, and UV-Vis investigations. Synthesized samples showed composition and structural properties typical for sonochemically synthesized SnS₂. However, investigation with the Tauc method revealed that SnS₂ powder modified with Phenol Red exhibits a significant shift in value of optical bandgap to 2.56 eV, while unmodified SnS₂ shows an optical bandgap value of 2.42 eV. The modification of SnS₂ powder with Anthraquinone Violet was unsuccessful. The obtained nanopowders were utilized as photocatalysts in the process of Metanil Yellow degradation, revealing that SnS₂ modified with Phenol Red shows about 23% better performance than the unmodified one. The mean sonochemical efficiency of the performed synthesis is also estimated as 9.35 µg/W.