Synthesis and gas sensitivities of SnO 2 nanorods and hollow microspheres

Abstract

SnO 2 urchin-like structures composed of nanorods with diameters of 10–15 nm and lengths of 50–70 nm have been hydrothermally synthesized via a H 2O 2-assisted route without any surfactant, using SnCl 2 as raw material. With the addition of methenamine (HMT), SnO 2 hollow microspheres with diameters of 2–3 μm and shell thickness of 60–140 nm were also prepared. The as-obtained products were examined using diverse techniques including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), high-resolution TEM and photoluminescence spectra. The gas sensitivity experiments have demonstrated that the as-synthesized SnO 2 materials exhibit good sensitivity to alcohol vapors, which may offer potential applications in gas sensors.