Synthesis of SnO2 quantum dots by chemical precipitation assisted by ultrasound

Abstract

SnO2 quantum dots were successfully prepared via chemical precipitation assisted by ultrasound. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the rutile tetragonal structure of SnO2 QDs with a crystallite size of 1.4 nm. The SEM micrographs of the obtained powder exhibited that the SnO2 QDs are agglomerated particles of around 10 nm, while TEM images confirmed that the crystallite size are similar to the measured from XRD. The band-gap energy of the SnO2 QDs measured from the UV–Vis reflectance spectrum of the SnO2 QDs was 4.3 eV, displaying a significantly blue-shifting attributed to quantum confinement.