Synthesis and characterization of bentonite-SnO2 nanocomposite in supercritical water environment

In this research, the possibility of decorating SnO2 nanoparticles on bentonite as a support in supercritical water environment has been investigated. Synthesis process of bentonite-SnO2 nanocomposite was performed in a reactor made of L316 stainless steel with a volume of 20 ml. The synthesis temperature and the duration was 480 °C and two hours, respectively. The manufactured nanocomposite was evaluated by various analyzes such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to confirm the immobilization of SnO2 nanoparticles on the support. The specific surface area, size and volume of nanocomposite cavities were determined using BET analysis. The appearance of SnO2 peaks in the XRD spectrum of the nanocomposite confirmed the successful synthesis of nanoparticles on bentonite. The immobilization of SnO2 nanoparticles with a size of less than 15 nm on bentonite plates was confirmed according to SEM and TEM images. The produced nanocomposite possessed a specific surface area of 50.36 m2/g and a pore volume of 0.13 cm/g due to the presence of bentonite in its structure, which makes it suitable for use as a catalyst in various reactions.