Synthesis and characterizations of Ni-SnO2-TiO2 nanocomposite for photocatalytic application

•A first attempt was made to synthesize of Ni-sn-TiO2 nanocomposite.•The formation of sn-doped Ni codoping in anatase–rutile mixed phases, no NiO was find.•The enhanced light absorption property is in the visible region and shift of absorption edge in long wavelength side.•Ni content in sn-TiO2 assisted optical character and improves the photocatalytic property.•This study could point out a potential way to develop new and more active tin and nickel codoped titania photocatalysts. A first attempt was made to synthesize a Ni-SnO2-TiO2 nanocomposite by a one-pot simple synthetic method. A [Ni(im)6]Cl2 precursor complex is preferably adsorbed on the solid surface forming nanocomposite: complex adduct, it simultaneously becomes a surface species (Ni-SnO2-TiO2). In this investigation, it has been found that surface interaction of nickel complex ions lead to the formation of surface species that are identified by XRD, FTIR, UV–vis DRS, SEM, EDX, HRTEM, XPS, and XANES analyses. The metal-loaded metal oxide coupled semiconductor solids find their applications as catalysts and in advanced electronics. We demonstrate the dopant induced changes in electronic density of states using DFT VASP calculations. The photocatalytic property of Ni-SnO2-TiO2 sample was tested, and the results showed that a small amount of nickel surface co-doped SnO2-TiO2, formed an anatase–rutile-cassiterite mixed phases with surface defects or oxygen vacancies, and had improved the photocatalytic activity. The organic model pollutant of Azo dye and methyl orange degradation property of TiO2 photocatalyst under visible light irradiation has greatly enhanced after the introduction of Ni into the SnO2-TiO2 surface matrix. This study points out a potential way to develop new and more active tin and nickel co-doped titania photocatalysts for organic pollutant degradation in water systems.