Amino acid mediated synthesis of luminescent SnO2 nanoparticles

Abstract

Tin oxide (SnO2) nanoparticles of average sizes ∼6, ∼16 and ∼33nm were synthesized successfully by a simple chemical precipitation method using an amino acid, glycine at different calcination temperatures of 200, 400, and 600°C, respectively. This method resulted in the formation of spherical, polycrystalline SnO2 nanoparticles with a higher degree of monodispersity. The sizes of the SnO2 nanoparticles were found to be a factor of calcination temperature. The synthesized SnO2 nanoparticles have a tetragonal rutile structure. Due to three dimensional quantum confinement effect shown by the synthesized SnO2 nanoparticles in their electronic spectra, an increase in band gap energy (3.85–4.21eV) is observed with a decrease in particle size (∼33 to ∼6nm). The synthesized nanomaterials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The optical properties were investigated using UV–vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). Interestingly, the photoluminescence property was shown by the material calcined at 400°C. The effects of various polar and non-polar solvents on the absorption spectra of the synthesized SnO2 nanoparticles were studied. The plausible reaction mechanism for the formation of SnO2 nanoparticles was also proposed.