An efficientfficient,controllable and facile two-step synthesis strategy: Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>@RGO composites with various Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles and their supercapacitance properties

An efficient,controllable,and facile two-step synthetic strategy to prepare graphene-based nanocomposites is proposed.A series of Fe3O4-decorated reduced graphene oxide (Fe3O4@RGO) nanocomposites incorporating Fe3O4 nanocrystals of various sizes were prepared by an ethanothermal method using graphene oxide (GO) and monodisperse Fe3O4 nanocrystals with diameters ranging from 4 to 10 nm.The morphologies and microstructures of the as-prepared composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,nitrogen adsorption measurements,and transmission electron microscopy.The results show that GO can be reduced to graphene during the ethanothermal process,and that the Fe3O4 nanocrystals are well dispersed on the graphene sheets generated in the process.The analysis of the electrochemical properties of the Fe3O4@RGO materials shows that nanocomposites prepared with Fe3O4 nanocrystals of different sizes exhibit different electrochemical performances.Among all samples,Fe3O4@RGO prepared with Fe3O4 nanocrystals of 6 nm diameter possessed the highest specific capacitance of 481 F/g at 1 A/g,highlighting the excellent capability of this material.This work illustrates a promising route to develop graphene-based nanocomposite materials with a wide range of potential applications.     

Radiation cured epoxy acrylate composites based on graphene, graphite oxide and functionalized graphite oxide with enhanced properties

Epoxy acrylate (EA) composites containing graphite oxide (GO), graphene and nitrogen-double bond functionalized graphite oxide (FGO) were fabricated using UV-radiation and electron beam radiation via in-situ polymerization. Graphene and FGO were homogenously dispersed in EA matrix and enhanced properties, including thermal stability, flame retardancy, electrical conductivity and reduced deleterious gas releasing in thermo decomposition were obtained. Microscale combustion colorimeter results illustrated improved flame retardancy; EA/FGO composites achieved a 29.7% reduction in total heat release (THR) when containing only 0.1% FGO and a 38.6% reduction in peak-heat release rate (PHRR) when containing 3% FGO. The onset decomposition temperatures were delayed and the maximum decomposition values were reduced, according to thermogravimetric analysis which indicated enhanced thermal stabilities. The electrical conductivity was increased by 6 orders of magnitude (3% graphene) and the deleterious gas released during the thermo decomposition was reduced with the addition of all the graphite samples. This study represented a new approach to functionalize GO with flame retardant elements and active curable double bond to achieve better dispersion of GO into polymer matrix to obtain nanocomposites and paved a way for achieving graphene-based materials with high-performance of graphene in enhancement of flame retardancy of polymers for practical applications.     

Facile Synthesis of NiFe_2O_4/Reduced Graphene Oxide Hybrid with Enhanced Electrochemical Lithium Storage Performance

In this work, a facile, one-pot route has been applied to synthesize nanohybrids based on mixed oxide Ni Fe2O4 and reduced graphene oxide(r GO). The hybrid is constructed by nanosized Ni Fe2O4 crystals confined by fewlayered r GO sheets. The formation mechanism and microstructure of the hybrids have been clarified by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.Electrochemical tests show that the performance of Ni Fe2O4 can be considerably improved by r GO incorporation. The performance improvement can be attributed to the two-dimensional conductive channels and the unique hybrid structure r GO constructed. The easy synthesis and good electrochemical performance of Ni Fe2O4/r GO hybrid make it a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries.     

静电纺丝法制备PAN/Fe3O4磁性纳米纤维

采用化学共沉淀法制备纳米四氧化三铁,选用曲拉通X-100为分散剂,利用静电纺丝法制备PAN/Fe3O4磁性纳米复合材料。X射线衍射仪(XRD)验证了四氧化三铁在复合纳米纤维中的存在。同时使用扫描电镜(SEM)和透射电镜(TEM)对复合纳米纤维的微观形貌和Fe3O4在纤维中的分布进行了观察,利用热重(TGA)对纳米复合材料的热稳定性进行分析;通过磁性实验分析了纳米复合材料的磁性性能。结果表明,所制备PAN/Fe3O4磁性纳米纤维成型良好,且Fe3O4磁性颗粒在纤维中分散均匀,其与PAN是物理复合。纳米复合材料具有一定磁性,并可由磁性颗粒的加入量进行控制。     

Preparation and tribological properties of graphene oxide/nitrile rubber nanocomposites

Graphene oxide (GO)/nitrile rubber (NBR) nanocomposites with various contents of GO were prepared by a solution-mixing method,in this study. The GO sheets were exfoliated from natural fake graphite by an improved Hummers method and could be further dispersed homogeneously in NBR matrix. The thickness and size of the GO sheets were observed by atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The tribological properties of the GO/NBR nanocomposites were evaluated on a ring-block MRH-3 wear tester under dry sliding and water-lubricated conditions. The worn surface morphologies of the GO/NBR nanocomposites were observed by a scanning electron microscopy. It was found that under dry sliding, both the friction coefficient (COF) and specific wear rate of the nanocomposites decreased dramatically at first, then increased with increasing GO contents, while under water-lubricated condition, both the COF and specific wear rate of the nanocomposites decreased with increasing GO contents. Finally, the friction and wear mechanisms of the GO/NBR nanocomposites were tentatively proposed.     

Fe(3)O(4)@Au/polyaniline multifunctional nanocomposites: their preparation and optical, electrical and magnetic properties

Fe(3)O(4)@Au/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites were fabricated by in situ polymerization in the presence of mercaptocarboxylic acid. The mercaptocarboxylic acid was used to introduce hydrogen bonding and/or electrostatic interaction; it acts as a template in the formation of Fe(3)O(4)@Au/PANI nanorods. The morphology and structure of the resulting nanocomposites were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and x-ray energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS). It was found that the nanocomposites were rod-like with an average diameter of 153?nm, and they exhibited a core-shell structure. A UV-visible spectrometer, semiconductor parameter analyzer and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) were used to characterize the optical, electrical and magnetic properties of the Fe(3)O(4)@Au/PANI nanocomposites. It was interesting to find that these properties are dependent on the molar ratio of Au to Fe(3)O(4) when the molar ratio of Fe(3)O(4)@Au to PANI is fixed. The magnetic property of the Fe(3)O(4)@Au/PANI nanocomposite is very close to superparamagnetic behavior.     

Mesoporous titanium dioxide@ zinc oxide–graphene oxide nanocarriers for colon-specific drug delivery

In this project, TiO₂@ZnO nanoparticles core–shell nanostructured and titanium dioxide@ mesoporous zinc oxide–graphene oxide (TiO₂@ZnO–GO) hybrid nanocomposites as controlled targeted drug delivery systems were synthesized by a facile sono-chemical method. We prepared a novel mesoporous and core–shell structure as a drug nanocarrier (NCs) for the loading and pH-responsive characteristics of the chemotherapeutic curcumin. The structure, surface charge, and surface morphology of NCs were studied using with X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, brunauer–emmett–teller, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The SEM and TEM images of NCs show the uniform hexagonal mesoporous morphology with average grain size of about ～ 190 nm. The drug loading was very high about 16 and 19 for TiO₂@ZnO and TiO₂@ZnO–GO, respectively. The NCs showed pH-dependent drug release behavior. Drug release from TiO₂@ZnO–GO in neutral pH were higher than in acidic medium, due to anionic charge of GO nanosheet. MTT assay results showed that the curcumin-loaded NCs showed significant toxicity due to which cell viability reduced to below 50% at 140 μg/mL concentration, thereby confirming its anticancer effects. The goal of this study is the application of water-dispersed TiO₂@ZnO–GO with pH-dependent release properties for design a new drug delivery carrier.     

Fe_3O_4-ODA/GO/PANI复合材料的制备及其电容性能

在当今能源紧缺的情况下,超级电容器由于具有功率密度高、充放电时间短、循环寿命长等优点而被广泛应用于工业自动化控制、电力、国防以及新能源汽车等众多领域。本文以十八胺修饰的四氧化三铁纳米粒子(Fe_3O_4-ODA),氧化石墨烯(GO)以及苯胺单体为原料,通过原位聚合成功制备了Fe_3O_4-ODA/GO/PANI三元复合电极材料,其比电容高达516F/g,远高于二元复合材料GO/PANI和Fe_3O_4-ODA/PANI的比电容(分别为224F/g和345F/g)。并且,在1000次循环充放电之后,其容量仍可维持86.5%。此外,利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线粉末衍射(XRD)和傅立叶变换红外光谱仪(FT-IR)等手段对该复合材料的形貌和结构进行了表征。     

Improving the thermal and mechanical properties of silicone polymer by incorporating functionalized graphene oxide

Functionalized graphene oxide (FGO) was produced by reacting graphene oxide nanosheets with vinyl trimethoxy silane (VTMS). The results confirmed the attachment of VTMS molecules to the surface of GO sheets by Si–O–C bonding. The introduction of VTMS molecules led to an excellent dispersibility in tetrahydrofuran and to the complete exfoliation of FGO with a thickness of about 1.19 nm. Meanwhile, FGO/silicone polymer composites were prepared by solution blending method. The incorporation of 0.5 wt% of FGO in silicone polymer improved remarkably the thermal stability, tensile strength, and thermal conductivity of the silicone polymer composite, due to the homogeneous dispersion of FGO in the composites as well as to the strong interfacial adhesion with silicone polymer matrix. Tensile strength and thermal conductivity of the FGO/silicone polymer composite were increased by 95.6 and 78.3 %, respectively, with the addition of 0.5 wt% FGO. The 5 % weight loss temperature of the composite at 0.5 wt% FGO loading was detected 26.1 °C higher than that of silicone polymer.     

Synthesis of novel magnetic iron metal-silica (Fe-SBA-15) and magnetite-silica (Fe(3)O(4)-SBA-15) nanocomposites with a high iron content using temperature-programed reduction

Magnetic iron metal-silica and magnetite-silica nanocomposites have been prepared via temperature-programed reduction (TPR) of an iron oxide-SBA-15 (SBA: Santa Barbara Amorphous) composite. TPR of the starting SBA-15 supported Fe(2)O(3) generated Fe(3)O(4) and FeO as stepwise intermediates in the ultimate formation of Fe-SBA-15. The composite materials have been characterized by means of x-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) magnetometry. The Fe oxide and metal components form a core, as nanoscale particles, that is entrapped in the SBA-15 pore network. Fe(3)O(4)-SBA-15 and Fe-SBA-15 exhibited superparamagnetic properties with a total magnetization value of 17?emu?g(-1). The magnetite-silica composite (at an Fe(3)O(4) loading of 30%?w/w) delivered a magnetization that exceeded values reported in the literature or obtained with commercial samples. Due to the high pore volume of the mesoporous template, the magnetite content can be increased to 83%?w/w with a further enhancement of magnetization.     

PMB/GO纳米复合材料的制备及阻燃性能

用共混法制备甲基丙烯酸甲酯-丙烯酸丁酯共聚物(PMB)/氧化石墨(GO)纳米复合材料。采用X射线衍射(XRD)和透射电镜(TEM)对复合材料结构进行了表征,并采用热重分析法(TGA)和锥形量热分析(CONE)研究了其阻燃性能变化。XRD和TEM分析结果表明,复合物中添加GO形成剥离型结构的纳米复合材料。TGA研究发现复合材料的热稳定性得到提高。CONE的测试结果表明,GO极大地改善了体系的燃烧性能,其中加5%GO体系的pk-HRR降低了62.2%。     

Biocompatibility enhancement of graphene oxide‐silver nanocomposite by functionalisation with polyvinylpyrrolidone

Several materials such as silver are used to enhance graphene oxide (GO) sheets antimicrobial activity. However, these toxic materials decrease its biocompatibility and hinder its usage in many biological applications. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop nanocomposites that can preserve both the antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility simultaneously. This work highlights the importance of functionalisation of GO sheets using Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and decorating them with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in order to enhance their antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility at the same time. The structural and morphological characterisations were performed by UV‐Visible, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopic techniques, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM). The antimicrobial activities of the prepared samples against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans were studied. The cytotoxicity of prepared materials was tested against BJ1 normal skin fibroblasts. The results indicated that the decoration with AgNPs showed a significant increase in the antimicrobial activity of GO and FGO sheets, and functionalisation of GO sheets and GO‐Ag nanocomposite with PVP improved the cell viability about 40 and 35%, respectively.Inspec keywords: biomedical materials, nanocomposites, visible spectra, ultraviolet spectra, X‐ray diffraction, cellular biophysics, nanoparticles, Raman spectra, filled polymers, transmission electron microscopy, silver, microorganisms, antibacterial activity, nanomedicine, nanofabrication, graphene compounds, toxicology, Fourier transform infrared spectraOther keywords: graphene oxide‐silver nanocomposite, polyvinylpyrrolidone, toxic materials, biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, morphological characterisations, structural characterisations, UV‐visible spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectra, Raman spectra, X‐ray diffraction, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, cytotoxicity, BJ1 normal skin fibroblasts, cell viability, CO‐Ag     

Structural analysis of graphene oxide/silver nanocomposites: optical properties,electrochemical sensing and photocatalytic activity

In the present study, graphene oxide/silver (GO/Ag) nanocomposites were synthesized via a facile simple one pot chemical reduction method using ethylene glycol/sodium borohydrate (EG/NaBH₄) as solvent and reducing agent. GO was selected as a substrate and stabilizer to prepare GO/Ag nanocomposites. The synthesized GO/Ag nanocomposites were characterized by a series of techniques. Highly monodispersed stable crystalline silver nanoparticles having a face-centered cubic (fcc) phase were confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) on GO signature. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that Ag nanoparticles are deposited on the GO sheet with a narrow size distribution. Transmission electron microscopy observations revealed that large numbers of Ag nanoparticles were uniformly distributed on GO sheet and well separated with an average size of 18 nm. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopic results showed the peak of GO and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag nanoparticles. The SPR property of GO/Ag nanocomposites showed that there was an interaction between Ag nanoparticles and GO sheet. The intensities of the Raman signal of GO/Ag nanocomposites are gradually increased with attachment of Ag nanoparticles i.e. there is surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity. Electrochemical investigations indicated that the nanocomposites possessed an excellent performance for detecting towards 4-nitrophenol. An application of the obtained GO/Ag nanocomposites as a catalyst in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by NaBH₄ was demonstrated. The GO/Ag nanocomposites exhibited high activity and stability for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The prepared GO/Ag nanocomposites act as photo-catalysts.     

Composites of aminodextran-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles and graphene oxide for cellular magnetic resonance imaging

Formation of composites of dextran-coated Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (NPs) and graphene oxide (Fe(3)O(4)-GO) and their application as T(2)-weighted contrast agent for efficient cellular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are reported. Aminodextran (AMD) was first synthesized by coupling reaction of carboxymethyldextran with butanediamine, which was then chemically conjugated to meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinnic acid-modified Fe(3)O(4) NPs. Next, the AMD-coated Fe(3)O(4) NPs were anchored onto GO sheets via formation of amide bond in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC). It is found that the Fe(3)O(4)-GO composites possess good physiological stability and low cytotoxicity. Prussian Blue staining analysis indicates that the Fe(3)O(4)-GO nanocomposites can be internalized efficiently by HeLa cells, depending on the concentration of the composites incubated with the cells. Furthermore, compared with the isolated Fe(3)O(4) NPs, the Fe(3)O(4)-GO composites show significantly enhanced cellular MRI, being capable of detecting cells at the iron concentration of 5 μg mL(-1) with cell density of 2 × 10(5) cells mL(-1), and at the iron concentration of 20 μg mL(-1) with cell density of 1000 cells mL(-1).     

The effect of the coupling agents KH550 and KH570 on the nanostructure and interfacial interaction of zinc oxide/chiral poly(amide–imide) nanocomposites containing l-leucine amino acid moieties

In this article, a series of optically active poly(amide–imide)/zinc oxide nanocomposites (PAI/ZnO NCs) with different ZnO contents were prepared by ultrasonic technique. For better dispersion of nanoparticles (NPs) in the PAI matrix, their surface was modified with two different silane coupling agents. Then, the effects of two linkers on dispersity of NPs, thermal stability and UV–Visible spectra of resulting NCs were investigated. The morphological structures, thermal, and UV properties of the prepared NCs with two different coupling agents were studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron micrograph, field emission scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and UV–Visible analysis. These data demonstrated that the surface-modified ZnO NPs were homogeneously dispersed in the PAI matrix. However, in the case of KH570 the better dispersity is more pronounced.     

Enhancement of electroconductivity of polyaniline/graphene oxide nanocomposites through in situ emulsion polymerization

The present study introduces a systematic approach to disperse graphene oxide (GO) during emulsion polymerization (EP) of Polyaniline (PANI) to form nanocomposites with improved electrical conductivities. PANI/GO samples were fabricated by loading different weight percents (wt%) of GO through modified in situ EP of the aniline monomer. The polymerization process was carried out in the presence of a functionalized protonic acid such as dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid, which acts both as an emulsifier and protonating agent. The microstructure of the PANI/GO nanocomposites was studied by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared, differential thermal, and thermogravimetric analyses. The formed nanocomposites exhibited superior morphology and thermal stability. Meanwhile, the electrical conductivities of the nanocomposite pellets pressed at different applied pressures were determined using the four-probe analyzer. It was observed that the addition of GO was an essential component to improving the thermal stability and electrical conductivities of the PANI/GO nanocomposites. The electrical conductivities of the nanocomposites were considerably enhanced as compared to those of the individual PANI samples pressed at the same pressures. An enhanced conductivity of 474 S/m was observed at 5 wt% GO loading and an applied pressure of 6 t. Therefore, PANI/GO composites with desirable properties for various semiconductor applications can be obtained by in situ addition of GO during the polymerization process.     

KH560功能化氧化石墨烯/光敏性不饱和聚酯树脂复合材料的制备与性能

合成了γ-缩水甘油醚氧丙基三甲氧基硅烷（KH560）功能化氧化石墨烯（FGO）,通过红外光谱和热重进行了表征分析。通过加入FGO对混杂型（自由基-阳离子混杂机制）光敏树脂（CRCPR）进行改性,探讨了FGO的加入对CRCPR的黏度、凝胶率和体积收缩率的影响,并测试了固化FGO/CRCPR复合材料的力学性能。结果表明：与氧化石墨烯（GO）相比,由于功能团的引入,FGO在树脂中呈现良好的分散性,少量FGO的引入既未明显改变树脂的黏度,也未降低树脂的凝胶率;同时,极少量FGO的加入即可大幅提高固化FGO/CRCPR复合材料的力学性能,当FGO的质量分数为0.06%时,体积收缩率降低了37%,拉伸强度和弯曲强度分别提高了71.8%和26.9%,冲击强度也提高了49.7%。良好的力学性能与FGO良好分散性及FGO与CRCPR基体良好的界面性能有关。     

Green synthesis of nanosilver‐decorated graphene oxide sheets

A green facile method has been successfully used for the synthesis of graphene oxide sheets decorated with silver nanoparticles (rGO/AgNPs), employing graphite oxide as a precursor of graphene oxide (GO), AgNO₃ as a precursor of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs), and geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) extract as reducing agent. Synthesis was accomplished using the weight ratios 1:1 and 1:3 GO/Ag, respectively. The synthesised nanocomposites were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, UV‐visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The results show a more uniform and homogeneous distribution of AgNPs on the surface of the GO sheets with the weight ratio 1:1 in comparison with the ratio 1:3. This eco‐friendly method provides a rGO/AgNPs nanocomposite with promising applications, such as surface enhanced Raman scattering, catalysis, biomedical material and antibacterial agent.Inspec keywords: silver, nanoparticles, graphene, nanocomposites, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, ultraviolet spectra, visible spectra, X‐ray chemical analysis, surface enhanced Raman scattering, catalysis, nanofabricationOther keywords: antibacterial agent, biomedical material, catalysis, surface enhanced Raman scattering, rGO‐AgNP nanocomposite, eco‐friendly method, homogeneous distribution, thermogravimetric analysis, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, UV‐visible spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, nanocomposites, reducing agent, geranium, graphene oxide sheets, graphite oxide, silver nanoparticles, green facile method     

Removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution by a solvothermal-synthesized graphene/magnetite composite

In this study, we have demonstrated a facile one-step solvothermal method for the synthesis of the graphene nanosheet (GNS)/magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) composite. During the solvothermal treatment, in situ conversion of FeCl(3) to Fe(3)O(4) and simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide (GO) into graphene in ethylene glycol solution were achieved. Electron microscopy study suggests the Fe(3)O(4) spheres with a size of about 200 nm are uniformly distributed and firmly anchored on the wrinkled graphene layers with a high density. The resulting GNS/Fe(3)O(4) composite shows extraordinary adsorption capacity and fast adsorption rates for removal of organic dye, methylene blue (MB), in water. The adsorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics were investigated in detail to reveal that the kinetics and equilibrium adsorptions are well-described by pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm model, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters reveal that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic in nature. This study shows that the as-prepared GNS/Fe(3)O(4) composite could be utilized as an efficient, magnetically separable adsorbent for the environmental cleanup.     

TiO2 and SnO2 magnetic nanocomposites: influence of semiconductors and synthetic methods on photoactivity

A number of reports have been published on use of TiO2 in thin films, magnetic nanocomposites, or heterostructures such as TiO2/Ag and TiO2/SnO2, as catalysts for water decontamination. Hence, semiconductor materials such as SnO2, associated with TiO2 in such nanocomposites, should be assessed in depth for such applications, especially those involving complex structures, such as magnetic photocatalytic nanocomposites. The present study describes the synthesis, characterization and testing of the photocatalytic potential of TiO2 or SnO2 magnetic nanocomposites obtained by the polymeric precursor and the hydrolytic sol-gel methods. The nanocomposites TiO2/CoFe2O4 and SnO2/CoFe2O4 were synthesized from polymeric precursors while TiO2/Fe3O4 and SnO2/Fe3O4 were synthesized by the hydrolytic sol-gel method. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (FEG/SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The photocatalytic potentials were evaluated by rhodamine B dye photodegradation under UV-C radiation. Compared to SnO2, the nanocomposites with a coating of TiO2 were found to show better photocatalytic activity, but the SnO2 magnetic nanocomposites showed some photocatalytic activity, even though SnO2 is reported to be inactive for these purposes. As for the synthesis method, the nanocomposites obtained from polymeric precursors had smaller surface areas, but higher photocatalytic activity, than those obtained by the hydrolytic sol-gel method. This observation was attributed to the higher crystallinity and a more active surface resulting from calcination of the polymeric precursor material.