Preparation of SnO 2 –TiO 2 /Fly Ash Cenospheres and its Application in Phenol Degradation

SnO 2 –TiO 2 /fly ash cenospheres ( FAC ) were prepared via hydrothermal method and used as an active photocatalyst in a photocatalytic system. Scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction analysis, UV –Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and N 2 adsorption–desorption measurements were used to determine the structure and optical property of SnO 2 –TiO 2 / FAC . Phenol was selected as the model substance for photocatalytic reactions to evaluate catalytic ability. Results showed that the degradation efficiency of phenol by SnO 2 –TiO 2 / FAC was 90.7% higher than that decomposed by TiO 2 / FAC . Increased efficiency could be due to the enhanced synergistic effect of semiconductors and FAC could provide more adsorption sites for the pollutant in the photocatalytic reaction. Furthermore, SnO 2 –TiO 2 / FAC composites exhibited excellent photocatalytic stability in four reuse cycles. Radical‐trapping experiments further revealed the dominating functions of holes in the photocatalytic reaction.