Temperature effect over structure and photochemical properties of nanostructured SnO2 powders

Abstract

We successfully synthesized tin dioxide nanoparticles with polyhedral morphology via an ethylene glycol assisted sol-gel approach. The structural characteristics of three tin dioxide samples were investigated after being thermally treated at 400°C, 600°C and 800°C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns clearly show the formation of single phase tin dioxide nanoparticles, with crystallite size of 6-20 nm, in good correlation with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis confirms the formation of 6nm polyhedral nanoparticles for the 400°C sample. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra suggest a high concentration of oxygen vacancies. The oxygen vacancy concentration increases with temperature, due to the combined action of the formation of VO and the energetic O compensation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis also confirms the formation of single phase tin dioxide and the presence of oxygen vacancies in good agreement with UV-VIS and PL data. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2013 Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Wien.