Tin Oxide Nanostructures Research Articles

Growth approach of one-dimensional tin oxide nanostructures via sputtering technique and their gas sensing application

In this study, the effective fabrication of tin oxide (SnO₂) one-dimensional nanostructures in the form of distinct nanorods by DC sputtering was reported, marking the first clear achievement of this morphology using this method. These nanorod-based structures were applied as a sensing layer for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) gas. The SnO₂ nanorods were grown under controlled substrate temperature conditions, with a deposition rate of 2 nm/min. It is to be emphasized that the best growth occurred at a temperature of 350 °C. Their structure was determined by FESEM and surface area techniques. The sensor response to the oxidizing NO2 was investigated by a temperature-programmed dynamic system. The surface area measurements by low vapor Kr gas showed for the films synthesized at 200 °C, 350 °C, and 500 °C values of 1.2 × 103, 2.3 × 103, and 1.2 × 103 cm2/g, respectively. Particularly, the sensor utilizing the one-dimensional nanostructures prepared at 350°C showed a high response at low temperatures of NO2 adsorption. For example, when the device was exposed to 2.0 ppm of target gas of the 350 °C-sensor, the response was around 90 (9000 %), while that of the 500 °C and 200 °C were 80 and 15, correspondingly.

Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of Tin Oxide Quantum Dots on Reduced Graphene Oxide under Light.

The study utilized a simple and cost-effective approach to improve the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting performance of various materials, including reduced graphene oxide (rGO), tin oxide nanostructures (SnO2), and rGO/SnO2 composites. The composites examined were rS15, containing 15 mg of rGO and 45 mg of SnO2, and rS5, with 5 mg of rGO and 50 mg of SnO2, tested in a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) electrolyte. Notably, the rS5 electrode showed a significant increase in PEC efficiency in 0.1 M NaOH, achieving a peak photocurrent density of 13.24 mA cm-2 under illumination, which was seven times higher than that of pristine rGO nanostructures. This enhancement was attributed to the synergistic effects of the heterostructure, which reduced resistance and minimized charge recombination, thereby maximizing the catalytic activity across the various electrochemical applications. Furthermore, the rS5 anode demonstrated improved Tafel parameters, indicating faster reaction kinetics and lower overpotential for efficient current generation. These results highlight the potential for optimizing nanostructures to significantly enhance PEC performance, paving the way for advancements in sustainable water-splitting technologies.

Managing Interfacial Defects and Charge-Carriers Dynamics by a Cesium-Doped SnO2 for Air Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

A high-quality nanostructured tin oxide (SnO2) has garnered massive attention as an electron transport layer (ETL) for efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs). SnO2 is considered the most effective alternative to titanium oxide (TiO2) as ETL because of its low-temperature processing and promising optical and electrical characteristics. However, some essential modifications are still required to further improve the intrinsic characteristics of SnO2, such as mismatch band alignments, charge extraction, transportation, conductivity, and interfacial recombination losses. Herein, an inorganic-based cesium (Cs) dopant is used to modify the SnO2 ETL and to investigate the impact of Cs-dopant in curing interfacial defects, charge-carrier dynamics, and improving the optoelectronic characteristics of PSCs. The incorporation of Cs contents efficiently improves the perovskite film quality by enhancing the transparency, crystallinity, grain size, and light absorption and reduces the defect states and trap densities, resulting in an improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ≈22.1% with Cs:SnO2 ETL, in-contrast to pristine SnO2-based PSCs (20.23%). Moreover, the Cs-modified SnO2-based PSCs exhibit remarkable environmental stability in a relatively higher relative humidity environment (>65%) and without encapsulation. Therefore, this work suggests that Cs-doped SnO2 is a highly favorable electron extraction material for preparing highly efficient and air-stable planar PSCs.

Bifunctional properties of manganese-doped tin oxide nanostructures for visible light–driven photocatalytic activity and antibacterial applications

Bifunctional properties of manganese-doped tin oxide nanostructures for visible light–driven photocatalytic activity and antibacterial applications

Synthesis and characterization of graphene oxide, tin oxide, and reduced graphene oxide-tin oxide nanocomposites

The present study reports the synthesis and characterization of graphene oxide (GO), tin oxide nanostructures, and reduced GO (rGO)-tin oxide nanocomposites. The modified Hummer's method was used for the synthesis of GO. Tin oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation method using SnCl2 as tin source. The rGO-tin oxide nanocomposites were synthesized by hydrothermal method using GO and SnCl2 as tin source. The synthesized nanostructures were characterized using powder XRD, FESEM, EDX spectroscopy, TEM, SAED, FTIR spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and TGA. The XRD pattern of the graphite powder shows intense (002) plane peak at 2θ = 26.78° along with the other graphitic XRD peaks. In addition, XRD peaks at 2θ ∼ 14°, 16.8°, 21.18°, and 24.18° were also observed. The characteristic GO (001) plane peak in the XRD pattern could be not be observed in the oxidative exfoliation GO. The Raman spectrum of the graphite powder shows intense crystalline G band, low-intensity defect related D, multi-layered graphitic flake related 2D-band with intensity ratio ID/IG=0.08 and I2D/IG=0.46. The oxidative exfoliated GO shows the degradation of the graphite XRD peaks, but the characteristic GO (001) plane XRD peak could not be observed. The TEM image shows the formation of GO sheets on the oxidative exfoliation of graphite. The d-spacing obtained from the observed hexagonal SAED pattern of the oxidative exfoliated GO was found to be much lower than graphite d-spacing. Raman, UV–visible, FTIR, and TGA studies indicate the formation of GO under oxidative exfoliation of graphite under Hummer’s method. The band gap values of around 1.70 eV from the UV–visible optical absorption also indicates the formation of graphene in the oxidative exfoliated GO. The observed results indicate the formation of graphene embedded amorphous GO.

Natural sunlight assisted photocatalytic removal of methylene blue and crystal violet dyes using Ni doped tin oxide nanostructures synthesized via chemical and green route

Natural sunlight assisted photocatalytic removal of methylene blue and crystal violet dyes using Ni doped tin oxide nanostructures synthesized via chemical and green route

Correlation between surface morphology and photocatalytic performance of electrochemically anodized SnO2 nanoparticles

Abstract Dependence of photocatalytic activity of tin oxide nanostructures (SnO2 NS) on the surface morphology is reported. In contrast to previous literature, an electrochemical anodization of Sn foils was successfully carried out to switch SnO2 porous into nanoparticles (NPs). Modifying the surface was limited to a short-time anodization between 10 and 20 min with fixing electrolyte concentration and anodization voltage. Semi-circular tetragonal-phased SnO2 NPs were figured out by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Also, fluorescence spectra confirm that the energy gap was expanded to 4.14 eV. Accordingly, high photo-efficiency (93.08 %) for degrading methylene blue (MB) dye was obtained. Therefore, unlike several studies on porous, the results suggest that the anodized nanoparticles are promising for high-performance catalysts.

Quantum confinement effects on the structural and optical properties of nanostructured tin oxide powder

Nanostructured Tin oxide powders, prepared by chemical precipitation method, exhibit interesting structural and optical properties at nanoscale dimensions. Structural characterization confirmed the formation of pure nanostructured SnO2 powders with average crystalline grain size of 54.4[Formula: see text]nm calculated with relative uncertainty of 1.62%. The optical properties of nanoSnO2 powder performed by using transmittance and photoluminescence measurements reveal high transparency and multi-photon emissions in visible and ultraviolet regions. The different photon emissions are attributed to radiative transitions via oxygen vacancies, Sn interstitials, Sn substitutional and dangling bonds. The lower wavelength value corresponded to the absorption edge peak indicating the good quantum confinement of nanostructured SnO2 powder. The larger optical band gap, calculated through transmittance measurements, confirms the quantum confinement effects. The presence of quantum confinement and native point defects in nanostructured SnO2 powders can contribute to enhancing photon emissions process. This result may offer inherent advantages over conventional materials for photonic quantum information technology. The sustained photon emission at room temperature, indicates that SnO2 nanoparticles could be useful in room temperature quantum computing and can maintain the delicate quantum states required for computation at higher temperatures.

Nanostructured and porous antimony-doped tin oxide as electrode material for the heat-to-electricity energy conversion in thermo-electrochemical cells

Thermo-electrochemical cells (or thermogalvanic cells or thermocells, TECs) have gained attention as devices able to convert low temperature heat into electricity. Within TECs, Pt is one of the most employed electrodes, since it exhibits a fast transfer of electrons with the redox couple in the electrolyte. However, its high price represents a serious drawback. Here, we analyze the use of nanostructured and porous antimony-doped tin oxide (Sb:SnO2) as electrode material. Electrodes of different thickness (320, 550 and 1550 nm) were fabricated by spin coating to study the effect of the electrode area in contact with the electrolyte. F:SnO2 (FTO) glass was used as a substrate and the typical 0.4 M potassium ferro/ferricyanide aqueous solution served as electrolyte. An impedance spectroscopy analysis under operating conditions (10 K temperature difference) showed that the Sb:SnO2 electrodes exhibit the same excellent kinetics as Pt for all the different thickness. On the other hand, the power output density was thickness independent, since the temperature coefficients and the series and mass-transport resistances were similar, leading to no performance improvements when the electrode area in contact with the electrolyte was significantly increased. Finally, the Carnot-related efficiencies estimated for the Sb:SnO2 cells were in the same order of magnitude as for Pt electrodes. These results open the possibility to use Sb:SnO2 as a suitable electrode in TECs at low cost.

Synthesis of high-surface-area mesoporous SnO2 nanomaterials using carbon template

Metal oxide porous nanomaterials are of great interest across scientific fields due to their intriguing properties, allowing their usage from lab-scale research to industrial applications. However, the production of high surface area metal oxide nanomaterials still poses significant challenges. This study introduces a novel method for synthesizing highly porous tin oxide (SnO2) nanostructures using carbon as the template material. The synthesis process includes the formation of a precursor composite containing resorcinol-formaldehyde gel and a tin oxide precursor, which is first carbonized to convert the resorcinol-formaldehyde into a porous three-dimensional carbon framework. This framework acts as a scaffold for the nucleation of SnO2 nanoparticles. Subsequent oxidation selectively removes the carbon template, yielding highly porous SnO2 nanomaterials. Electron microscopy analysis shows that the nanomaterials feature a particle size with average diameter of ∼30 nm, whereas Gas adsorption-desorption characterization indicates pronounced mesoporosity, with a pore size of 3 nm and a specific surface area of 476 m2/g. The enhanced surface area surpasses the previously reported studies on porous SnO2. This is significant considering the easy production process of the nanomaterials, which signifies its potential for large-scale production. Furthermore, this approach offers versatility, as different materials can replace the carbon component, allowing for tailored nanostructure design and enhanced properties. The resulting materials can offer exciting possibilities in the field of materials science and nanotechnology.

Opto-electrical evaluation of visible blind fast-response nanostructured SnO2/Si photodetector.

In this study, a nanostructured tin(iv) oxide (SnO2)/Si heterojunction UV photodetector was fabricated in response to laser pulses attained via pulsed laser deposition (PLD). In particular, the photo-detection mechanisms of the proposed devices were thoroughly investigated considering multiple-profile dependency, namely, laser pulses, spectral response, and incident power. In detail, particle diameters of 25 and 41 nm with a bandgap alteration of 0.2 eV and a cut-off phenomenon at around 335 nm occurred as a result of an increase in the number of pulses from 300 to 700. The optimum photodetector (at 700 pulses, λ 340 nm, and 10 mW cm-2) revealed a responsivity (R λ ) and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 32.9 mA W-1 and 120.2, respectively. Furthermore, a descended photocurrent behavior from 330 to 63.9 (μA) was observed at wavelengths of 340 and 625 nm with a visible light rejection ratio of 516%, indicating the visible blind characteristic of the proposed geometry. This was also observed at an extremely low bias potential (0.01 V). The incident power profile demonstrated an inversely proportional correlation to R λ and EQE, with values 37.8 mA W-1 and 137.7 at 6 mW cm-2, respectively. Of the fabricated devices, the photodetector performance attained at 700 pulses, λ 340 nm, and 10 mW cm-2 depicted a substantially rapid time-resolved characteristic with a rise and fall time of 0.29 and 0.31 s, respectively.

A Comparative Study of Coprecipitation and Solvothermal Techniques for Synthesizing Pure and Cu‐Doped SnO2 Nanoparticles

Tin oxide (SnO2), with its low resistivity properties and high transparency in the visible spectrum, makes it an attractive electron transfer layer (ETL) for use in perovskite solar cells. Here, we use two techniques, coprecipitation and solvothermal, to synthesize pure and 4% copper‐doped SnO2. The X‐ray diffraction patterns revealed that the films synthesized using both methods have a crystalline structure with a tetragonal arrangement. Furthermore, the lack of any secondary peaks indicated the absence of mixed tin oxide (Sn2O4) or copper oxide (CuO) components. Additionally, it demonstrated that adding a 4% Cu doping concentration reduced the crystal size in both methods. The optical results indicate adequate transmission in the central range of the visible spectrum. Calculations were performed to find the energy gap of pure SnO2 in both techniques to be 3.85 eV and 4.17 eV, respectively. When we doped SnO2 with 4% Cu, this band gap energy decreased to 3.75 eV and 3.9 eV. Furthermore, with 4% Cu doping, the particle size decreases, as demonstrated by FESEM. The EDX spectroscopy images revealed that the synthesized nanoparticles consisted of copper, oxygen, and tin. The analysis of functional groups using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and the roughness analysis using AFM images showed a decrease in roughness from 46.1 nm to 12.3 nm in doped samples prepared by solvothermal synthesis, compared to those synthesized by the coprecipitation technique from 4.7 nm to 0.3 nm. We discovered that Cu plays an essential role in reducing nanocrystalline SnO2 particle sizes. In addition, the solvothermal technique is more impressive than coprecipitation in the synthesis of tin oxide nanostructure.

Investigation of antimicrobial and anti-cancer activity of thermally sensitive SnO2 nanostructures with green-synthesized cauliflower morphology at ambient weather conditions

A tin oxide (SnO2) nanostructure was prepared using Matricaria recutita leaf extract to investigate its anticancer activity against SK-MEL-28 cells. The tetragonal crystal structure of tin oxide nanoparticles with an average crystal size of 27 nm was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The tetragonal crystal structure of the tin oxide nanoparticles, with an average crystallite size of 27 nm, was confirmed by XRD an absorbance peak at 365 nm was identified by UV–visible spectroscopy analysis as belonging to the bio-mediated synthesis of SnO2 nanoparticles. The SnO2 NPs are capped and stabilized with diverse functional groups derived from bioactive molecules, including aldehydes, benzene rings, amines, alcohols, and carbonyl stretch protein molecules. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis validated the presence of these capping and stabilizing chemical bonds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies revealed the cauliflower-shaped morphology of the SnO2 nanoparticles with an average particle size of 28 nm. The antimicrobial activity of both prepared and encapsulated samples confirmed their biological activities. Furthermore, both prepared and encapsulated tin oxide samples exhibited excellent anticancer activity against SK-MEL-28 human cancer cells. The present study introduces a reliable and uncomplicated approach to produce SnO2 nanoparticles and demonstrates their effectiveness in various applications, including cancer therapy, drug administration, and disinfectant.

Characterization of Nanostructured Tin Oxide Anodes Obtained By Electrolytic Oxidation for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries

In recent years, the growing electric vehicle market has increased the need for cost efficient and high energy materials for batteries drastically. Tin and tin oxide materials bear great potential as anode materials for Li-Ion batteries due to low cost and high theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, the development of commercial tin anodes has so far been hindered due to several drawbacks related to high volume expansion during operation leading to fast cell degradation. To circumvent these issues, nanostructured electrodes can be applied to mitigate volume changes. Typically, the production process of such electrodes is challenging, leading to high cost and issues in terms of scalability. Electrochemical processes, such as the electrolytic oxidation of tin, has been found a promising alternative to fabricate nanostructured electrodes. The additive-free tin oxide anodes obtained from this process exhibit high gravimetric and volumetric capacity, excellent rate capability as well as promising cycle life. The morphology and microstructure have high impact on the rate capability and cycling stability of tin oxide anodes. Since structural properties can be precisely adjusted by controlling the electrochemical oxidation process, a deeper understanding of the structure-property relationship is needed to optimize the production process and pave the way for commercialization.Herein an in-depth characterization of nanostructured tin oxide anodes formed by electrochemical oxidation is presented. The rate capability and the cycling stability are investigated by means of electrochemical measurements in battery cells. Operando electrochemical dilatometry is used to investigate the thickness change of the anodes during cycling (cell breathing). In-situ XRD measurements are applied to elucidate the reaction mechanism. The anodes are carefully analyzed by SEM/EDS at different state of lithiation to understand the impact of volume changes on the inner porosity and morphology. Finally, the cycling stability of tin oxide anodes is improved by applying an electrochemical prelithiation step. Therefore, the impact of different prelithiation regimes on the cycling stability is evaluated in full cells. The results contribute to the understanding of electrochemical behavior of nanostructured tin oxide anodes and the derivation of optimal design criteria adjusted by electrochemical surface engineering.

Superhydrophobic tin oxide nanostructures coated on copper plates: Wettability tuning by the etching medium

AbstractIn the current work, the chemical etching process and hydrothermal method were used to create bio‐inspired superhydrophobic fluorine‐free tin oxide nanostructures on copper plates. Taguchi's experimental design was also used in investigating coating wettability characteristics based on fabrication parameters. Statistical analysis results demonstrated that the optimal superhydrophobic sample with a water contact angle of 163.40° ± 1.42° and contact angle hysteresis of 3.00° ± 0.80° could be fabricated under the following conditions: sodium hydroxide (2.00 M) as an etching solution, urea‐to‐tin chloride ratio 2.5:1, and 2.00 h reaction times. The effects of each synthesis parameter on the obtained sample's superhydrophobicity were evaluated through multiple one‐variable‐at‐a‐time experiments. Testing the chemical stability of the optimal sample revealed that it was more resistant to deterioration in an alkaline environment (8–10) than in an acidic environment (4–6). The resulting superhydrophobic sample was analyzed by a delay test for water droplets freezing on its surface to determine whether ice formed and accumulated. The created bio‐inspired honeycomb‐like nanocoating demonstrated exceptional mechanical robustness and good anti‐icing performance after 10 consecutive icing cycles. These results indicated that superhydrophobic coatings could be easily and economically produced without using fluoropolymers and silanes on aluminum substrates.

Influence of the Morphological and Chemical Properties of Nanosized Metal Oxides on Catalytic Efficiency for the Cycloaddition Reaction of CO<sub>2</sub> to Epoxides

Metal oxides represent “workhorse catalysts” for the chemical industry with multifarious applications in dehydrogenation, metathesis, transesterification, and combustion reactions. It is therefore crucial, for each given catalytic process, to investigate the impact of morphological and physicochemical properties on catalytic performance. Metal oxide materials are being increasingly applied as inexpensive catalytic materials for the cycloaddition of CO2 to epoxides but the correlation between the chemical properties of the metal oxides and their catalytic activity has not been systematically investigated. In this work, we prepared nanostructured tin (IV) oxide (SnO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) materials with different morphologies such as quantum dots (QDs), nanowires (NWs), microdisks (µDs) and nanoplates (NPLs). Following characterization, these materials were investigated, in combination with low amounts of tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI) as a nucleophile, for the CO2 cycloaddition to styrene oxide (SO) yielding cyclic styrene carbonate (SC) under atmospheric pressure. The correlation between catalytic performance, surface area, acidity and basicity was investigated and discussed.

Semiconducting Double-Layer Lead Monoxide Tin Oxide Nanostructures for Photodetectors

Semiconducting Double-Layer Lead Monoxide Tin Oxide Nanostructures for Photodetectors

Parthenium hysterophorous flower template assisted SnO2 nanostructure as photoanode for dye sensitized solar cell

The synthesis process of tin oxide (SnO2) nanostructures and the performance of alizarin-based SnO2 dye-sensitized solar cells have been investigated in the current work. For the first time, tin oxide nanostructures with various pH values are synthesized using the template taken from parthenium hysterophorous flower which acts as the photoanodes. SnO2 film coated with alizarin dye, a platinum counter electrode, and an iodine electrolyte are used to fabricate DSSC. The structural, morphological, and optical characteristics of the SnO2 nanostructures are investigated using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL), attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectra, and UV–visible spectroscopy techniques. Current density-voltage (J-V) parameters are measured using electrochemical workstation with solar illumination.

Hydrothermally derived Mg doped tin oxide nanostructures for photocatalytic and supercapacitor applications

Pure and Mg-dopedSnO2 (Mg@SnO2) nanoparticles (NPs) with dopant concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 0.06 M have successfully been synthesized by vapour pressure method. The physicochemical characteristics of the synthesised sample were thoroughly examined using a variety of analytical tools. At 5 A g−1 current density, the Mg@SnO2 electrode displayed the specific capacitance of 259F g−1. Furthermore, Mg@SnO2 had remarkable capacitance retention of 87% after 1000 cycles. The computed energy and power densities were measured to be 37.62 Wh kg−1 and 1.79 W kg−1, respectively. In addition, when used as a reusable photocatalyst for degrading AR S dye, Mg@SnO2 had a 75% degradation rate after 120 min of exposure to sunshine. Our investigations showed that the Mg@SnO2 NPs are the optimum option for use in both supercapacitor (SC) and photocatalytic (PC) applications.

Development of niobium doped tin oxide nanostructure via hydrothermal route for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and antimicrobial study

In this work, we discuss the effect of niobium (Nb) doping concentrations of 2% and 4% on the physicochemical characteristics and photocatalytic properties of tin dioxide nanostructure, which were successfully developed by a basic hydrothermal route. Nb-doped SnO2 were characterized with regards to their optical, structural and photocatalytic features. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses display that both pristine and doped tin dioxide had a fine crystalline structure having tetragonal structure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis shows that materials exhibited the irregular shaped nanoparticles morphology. Optical absorption analysis using UV–visible spectroscopy revealed a redshift in the bandgap energy for Nb3+ doped SnO2 nanoparticles. Methylene blue aqueous (MB) dye was degraded by 93.78% in 120 min when exposed to 4% Nb doped SnO2 NPs under visible light. The 4% Nb doped SnO2 shows elevated photocatalytic activity owing to their greater surface area containing greater active zones responsible for adsorption of larger dye species and good structural stability. Similarly, the 4% Nb doped SnO2 photocatalysts maintained their excellent stability and photodegradation efficiency over 89% even after being subjected to 5th cycles. The scavenger analysis demonstrates that the superoxide (O2) radical, a major active substance, performed a crucial role in the mineralization of the aqueous MB dye. The 4% Nb doped SnO2 also shows remarkable antimicrobial activity. Our finding suggests that doping strategy considered as efficient method that can help to increase the photocatalytic and antimicrobial activity.