Phase system of hexane-water for SnO₂nanoparticles preparation using Cassia alata leaf extract and its photocatalytic activity

SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using a hexane phase of Cassia alata leaf extract (CLE) and a water phase of SnCl2 precursor by high-speed stirring (HSS) method. In this study, HSS was utilized to analyze the nanoparticle formation via phase system of hexane-water. Next, the synthesized SnO2 NPs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, particle size analyzer (PSA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Phytochemical screening confirms that CLE contains secondary metabolites such as alkaloids as a source of base, saponins and tannin as a capping agent in SnO2 NPs formation. TEM characterization shows that the particle size of SnO2 NPs was approximately 25-50 nm. The photocatalytic activity of SnO2 NPs was tested for methylene blue (MB) degradation under UV light irradiation. As a result, the degradation percentage of MB was 70.29 % for 160 min.