Growth and characterization of free-standing single crystalline tin and tin oxide nanobelts

Abstract

Free-standing single crystalline tin nanobelts have been synthesized from tin foil by a novel selective etching process in NaOH solutions under hydrothermal conditions at low temperatures. The process requires neither catalysts nor templates to yield single crystalline tin nanobelts which are oriented and aligned on tin substrate. The crystal structure and morphology of these nanobelts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, showing that oriented, single crystalline tin nanobelts were formed and grew along [101] crystal direction. These single crystalline tin nanobelts were easily converted into single crystalline tin oxide nanobelts by a shape-preserving oxidation process.